Scientists Develop Super-Accurate Measurement to Determine if a Meteorite Actually Came from Mars

NASA's Mars Curiosity rover has confirmed that meteorites thought to be from Mars are actually from the Red Planet thanks to a way to measure the Martian atmosphere.


According to a press release, the new measurement works by counting with utmost precision two types of gasses: Argon-36 and Argon-38. Curiosity accomplishes this by using its Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument.

These two gases, lighter and heavier forms of argon, exist in the atmosphere, but ratios are naturally skewed. Since most of Mars' atmosphere has been lost to space, the lighter gas went with it and has left the planet's atmosphere enriched

The SAM measurements pins down with the highest accuracy ever for NASA at 4.2 atoms of Argon-36 for every one of Argon-38. Viking landers in the 70s put that ratio around seven and previous studies and analyses narrowed it to 3.6 to 4.5, but these researchers believe they have closed the gap.


"We really nailed it," said the paper's lead author Sushil Atreya, of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. "This direct reading from Mars settles the case with all Martian meteorites."

Read more at http://www.universityherald.com/articles/4987/20131017/scientists-develop-super-accurate-measurement-determine-meteorite-actually-came-mars.htm#MPuEaPoTsbfOA2TG.99