meteorite

The U.S. government has seized a 54-pound Martian meteorite that was sold at auction last year, asserting American ownership of the space rock. The case, involving Jeanine Pirro and questions over who owns a chunk of Mars, has drawn attention to how meteorites found on Earth are claimed, traded, and legally contested between private collectors and the state.

Researchers have detailed the molecular composition inside a meteorite, material that predates or accompanies the formation of the Solar System. The findings offer clues about the organic chemistry present when the Sun and planets formed, and why it matters for understanding how life's building blocks may have been delivered to early Earth.

Researchers have separated tiny mineral grains from pieces of a meteorite and identified several calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions containing naturally magnetic minerals, including iron. The team then ran a series of tests to determine whether the grains still preserved ancient magnetic signals. If confirmed, the findings could offer rare physical evidence about magnetic conditions in the early solar system, when these inclusions formed.