Continuing the Search for Life on Mars

Dateline: Aug. 11, 1998

The Associated Press- London

A meteorite discovered in the Sahara Desert was positively identified as coming from Mars. This would be the 13th meteorite out of the 20,000 found worldwide, to be from Mars.

Meteorite experts hope to learn more about the environmental conditions and the existence of life on the red planet from "lucky 13". "...this particular meteorite is exciting because it seems to be from a different formation and possibly a different age than the others, "reported Colin Pillinger, a space scientist at the Planetary Sciences Research Institute at Open University in Milton Keynes.

The age of the meteorite is not yet know, but Pillinger says it left Mars at least a million years ago. The meteorite left the planets surface after a comet or asteroid smashed into Mars.

The meteorite then floated through space and crashed into Earth. The rock lay undiscovered for probably 40,000 years. Other Mars meteorites found have been 4.5 billion years old.

After undergoing a series of test and experiments the rock may lend credence to the theory of evidence of life NASA discovered on another meteorite in 1996.

Thus the never ending Search for Extraterrestrials continues, With this recent discovery hopefully one more "giant leap for mankind" is in the making.