A meteorite that landed in the Sahara Desert last year is estimated to be older than the earth itself. According to Results study published in PNAS, this meteorite is approximately 4.6 billion years old. The solar system evolved to its current structure about 4.57 billion years ago with all its planets whereas the Sun first formed, over 4.6 billion years ago.
The scientist stated that this piece of rock might have come from partly molten magma in its parent body’s crust which is rich in silica. However, most magma is rich in iron. It is named Erg Chech 002 (EC 002), after the Algerian site where it was discovered, the rock is a rare artifact from a protoplanet — a large body of matter in orbit around the Sun or another star, and believed to be developing into a planet — that was likely forming when the solar system was 2 million years old.
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