New technology is shaping discoveries in science every day. Recently, researchers have turned to advanced tools to study meteorites without causing damage. A notable example is the meteorite NWA 7034, also called Black Beauty. This extraordinary piece of Mars fell to Earth billions of years ago, offering insights about the Red Planet’s past.
Black Beauty is famous not just for its origins but also for its beauty. It’s made from materials that are about 4.48 billion years old, making it one of the oldest known samples from Mars. Before, researchers had to cut and analyze sections of meteorites, which meant losing parts of these precious specimens.
Now, computed tomography (CT) machines allow scientists to study meteorites without cutting them. There are two main types: X-ray CT and Neutron CT. X-ray CT works well for finding heavy materials like iron, while Neutron CT is better at locating hydrogen—an important element for understanding water content.
In a recent study published on arXiv, a team led by Estrid Naver from the Technical University of Denmark used both techniques on a small, polished sample of Black Beauty. They found “clasts,” or small rock fragments, which were already known to exist in the meteorite. However, the specific clasts they discovered were unique.
These clasts, known as “Hydrogen-rich Iron oxyhydroxide” (H-Fe-ox), comprised about 0.4% of the sample’s volume yet contained roughly 11% of the total water content. Black Beauty holds an impressive 6,000 parts per million of water—surprising for a planet known to have little water today. This aligns well with findings from NASA’s Perseverance rover, which detected signs of ancient watery environments on Mars.
While Black Beauty acts almost like a miniature sample return mission, researchers were initially eager to apply these CT techniques to future Mars Sample Return missions. However, with the recent cancellation of that program, direct testing of planetary samples may face significant delays.
Interestingly, there’s still a potential for new samples from Mars. China has plans for its own sample return mission, which could bring more exciting discoveries sooner than expected. Until then, using non-destructive methods on other Martian meteorites remains a viable option for scientists to expand our understanding of the Red Planet.
For more about the significance of these findings, check out relevant articles on Universe Today.
