NASA Releases Annotated Images of Ancient Martian Meteorite Teghaza 001

NASA has released reflected light images of a slice of Teghaza 001, a Martian meteorite the agency describes as one of the most ancient ever found on Earth. According to the image description published through NASA's photojournal, the slice was used to determine the age of the rock. Reflected light images of this kind serve as a road map for scientists, NASA said, helping them locate minerals of interest that can then be analyzed with different instruments. The release includes an unannotated view along with a labeled version, identified as Figure A, that marks the key minerals within the sample. In the annotated image, iron-titanium oxides appear as brighter grains while pyroxene shows up in medium gray. According to NASA, both minerals tell a story about the formation of Mars' crust and mantle. A third mineral, shocked plagioclase, appears in darker gray. NASA explained that this form of plagioclase is created by extreme pressures during impacts, including the impact that sent Teghaza 001 flying through space to Earth. The images also record changes the rock underwent after its arrival. The alteration visible in the slice represents fine grain carbonate, sulfate and clay minerals that formed on Earth, according to the agency. The images were published on NASA's science photojournal on October 29, 2026.