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Health & Science1h 59m ago

Scientists have proposed that Northwest Africa 12774, a meteorite recovered from the Sahara Desert, may be debris from a destroyed protoplanet.

Sahara Desert, Mauritania

Who
Scientists, Dr. Aaron Bell
What
Scientists have proposed that Northwest Africa 12774, a meteorite recovered from the Sahara Desert, may be debris from a destroyed protoplanet.
When
Fri, 12 Jun 2026 17:22:00 GMT · 1h 59m ago
Where
Sahara Desert, Mauritania ·
Why
Analysis of the angrite meteorite, NWA 12774, indicated its source was not a small asteroid but a much larger object due to the presence of aluminum-rich clinopyroxene and calculated formation pressures.
The Frontline Impact

How this affects you

This discovery could provide strong evidence for the early formation and subsequent destruction of sizable young worlds in the Solar System, changing our understanding of planetary evolution and the formation of rocky planets like Earth.

Story chain

3 events in this thread
  1. Currently Reading1h 59m ago
    Scientists have proposed that Northwest Africa 12774, a meteorite recovered from the Sahara Desert, may be debris from a destroyed protoplanet.
  2. Health & Science1h 59m ago
    Scientists 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
  3. Health & Science3h 14m ago
    A meteorite found in the Sahara, Northwest Africa 12774, provides direct evidence that a lost early protoplanet was far larger than previously believed.
    Open article

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