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Health & Science4h 22m ago
A meteorite found in the Sahara, Northwest Africa 12774, provides direct evidence that a lost early protoplanet was far larger than previously believed.
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Sahara
Who
Aaron Bell, CU Boulder researchers
What
A meteorite found in the Sahara, Northwest Africa 12774, provides direct evidence that a lost early protoplanet was far larger than previously believed.
When
Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:07:00 GMT · 4h 22m ago
Where
Sahara ·
Why
The meteorite's crystal chemistry, specifically clinopyroxene with high aluminum content, indicates it formed under high pressure, suggesting a parent body of at least 1,000 kilometers in radius.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the composition and size of early planetary bodies, suggesting the inner solar system may have contained more diverse and larger protoplanets than currently understood. It opens new avenues for studying the formation and evolution of planets in the early solar system.
Story chain
3 events in this thread- Health & Science3h 7m agoScientists have proposed that Northwest Africa 12774, a meteorite recovered from the Sahara Desert, may be debris from a destroyed protoplanet.Open article
- Health & Science3h 7m agoScientists have proposed that Northwest Africa 12774, a meteorite recovered from the Sahara Desert, may be debris from a destroyed protoplanet, according to Sci.News.Open article
- Currently Reading4h 22m agoA meteorite found in the Sahara, Northwest Africa 12774, provides direct evidence that a lost early protoplanet was far larger than previously believed.