The First-Ever Meteorite from Mercury?

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The First-Ever Meteorite from Mercury?

NWA 7325 is a meteorite like no other. Found in Morocco last year, this clutch of small stones looks to be a near-perfect geochemical match to the surface of the innermost planet.

When dynamicists run the numbers, it's at least statistically possible that meteorites should fall to Earth from all over the inner solar system — even from Mercury.

So, spurred by the Messenger orbiter's close scrutiny of Mercury's surface, the hunt has been on to find meteorites from the innermost planet. All previous candidates (called angrites and aubrites) are close but imperfect matches to the unique composition found by Messenger on Mercury's surface: dark igneous rock enriched in magnesium but virtually free of iron.

Now, finally, they might have one in hand.

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