Meteorites found in Sahara may not originate from Mercury

In 2023, two meteorites were discovered in the Sahara Desert, raising the possibility that they could be fragments of Mercury, the innermost planet in the solar system. These meteorites would represent the first known pieces from Mercury to reach Earth if the claim is validated. Research, led by Ben Rider-Stokes from the Open University, suggests that while these fragments exhibit certain chemical compatibilities with Mercury, they are dated to be approximately 500 million years older than the current known surface of the planet. This significant discrepancy puts into question their origin and raises doubts within the scientific community regarding the accuracy of matching these meteorites to Mercury's composition. Despite their potential links to the planet, experts expressed skepticism about the claim. Sean Solomon, the principal investigator of NASA’s MESSENGER mission, highlighted that similar challenges were faced in previously identifying Martian meteorites, which required extensive chemical analysis to confirm their origins. Solomon noted that the ages of the meteorites are a primary reason for the doubt, as they predate the known surface materials of Mercury, which complicates the case for their provenance. Both Rider-Stokes and Solomon agree that further studies are needed to clarify the meteorites’ origins, including the possibility they might be remnants of precursor materials that formed near Mercury. With ongoing space missions like the European Space Agency's BepiColombo set to begin its study of Mercury in 2027, scientists hope to gather more information that could either confirm or refute the hypotheses surrounding the Sahara meteorites. Confirming these meteorites as originating from Mercury would be groundbreaking, allowing for a better understanding of the planet's early history and geology. While current knowledge of Mercury primarily derives from the MESSENGER probe, which was launched in 2004, the findings of these two meteorites could spark renewed interest and debate about the composition and formation of terrestrial bodies in the inner solar system. Identifying meteorites from Mercury could help elucidate the nature of early solar system materials, but challenging geographical and technical hurdles make such endeavors complex and costly to undertake.