Yes. And they literally fell from the sky for us. In the form of meteorites!
Most meteorites are remnants of ancient space rock that are at least 4.5 billion years old. That was why scientists were puzzled when they came across volcanic rocks that were definitely from space, but only about 1.3 billion years old – quite young, astronomically speaking! Fortunately, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Viking spacecraft that landed on Mars in 1976 helped us clear that mystery. Using specialized instruments on the Viking landers, scientists were able to get key information about the Martian surface and atmosphere. When they compared it with the chemical composition of the minerals and gases trapped in the strangely-young meteorites, they had their answer – the rocks were from Mars! The age of the meteorites was also consistent with the time when Mars was in its volcanic phase.
But how did these rocks get to the Earth? Scientists believe that the very same space rocks that crashed into Mars to create its craters also sent Martian rocks flying into space. These newly-formed debris then wandered around in space for millions of years until they were pulled in by the Earth’s gravitational force. As on date, we have identified around 300 Martian meteorites. Maybe there are many more, waiting in remote corners of the Earth, for you to find and name one day!
Picture Credit : Google
