# Rare Sahara Meteorite Reveals Destroyed Protoplanet That Orbited the Young Sun 4.5 Billion Years Ago

*2026-06-24 14:03 UTC · Science · 2 min read*

> A Sahara meteorite provides the first physical evidence of a Moon-sized protoplanet shattered 4.5 billion years ago, rewriting part of the solar system's origin story.

A rare meteorite discovered in the Sahara Desert has provided the first physical evidence of a lost protoplanet — a Moon- to Mars-sized world destroyed in a catastrophic collision during the solar system's infancy. The meteorite, designated Northwest Africa (NWA) 12774, belongs to the extraordinarily rare angrite group: of more than 80,000 known meteorites on Earth, only 68 are angrites. Researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder published their findings in Earth and Planetary Science Letters.

The key evidence came from a mineral called clinopyroxene with unusually high aluminum content found inside the meteorite. Forming this mineral required at least 17.5 kilobars of pressure — a force that could only exist deep within a large planetary body. The team calculated the protoplanet had a radius of at least 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) and possibly up to 1,800 kilometers (1,118 miles), placing it in size between Earth's Moon and Mars. Its sharp-edged crystals suggest they formed near the surface, implying an even larger body beneath.

Most strikingly, the lost world followed a completely different evolutionary path from Earth and Mars: its rocks contain almost no silicon dioxide, the dominant compound in other rocky planets. Scientists believe the protoplanet was shattered early in the solar system's history, and its fragments may have been incorporated into other planets — possibly including Earth itself. The finding rewrites part of the story of how rocky worlds formed in our solar system's earliest days.

## Sources

- [sciencedaily.com](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260619101347.htm)
- [scitechdaily.com](https://scitechdaily.com/ancient-meteorite-reveals-a-forgotten-planet-that-existed-4-5-billion-years-ago/)
- [space.com](https://www.space.com/astronomy/solar-system/meteorite-found-in-sahara-desert-may-be-1st-evidence-of-lost-solar-system-world)

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TechTools News · https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/1883-rare-sahara-meteorite-reveals-destroyed-protoplanet-that-orbited-the-young-sun
Česká verze: https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/1956-vzacny-meteorit-ze-sahary-odhalil-znicenou-protoplanetu-ktera-obihala-kolem