Description
A Martian meteorite is a rock that formed on Mars, was ejected from the planet by an impact event, and traversed interplanetary space before landing on Earth as a meteorite. As of September 2020, 277 meteorites had been classified as Martian, less than half a percent of the 72,000 meteorites that have been classified. There are three groups of Martian meteorites: shergottites, nakhlites, and chassignites, collectively known as SNC meteorites. These meteorites are interpreted as Martian because they have elemental and isotopic compositions that are similar to rocks and atmospheric gases on Mars, which have been measured by orbiting spacecraft, surface landers, and rovers. The term does not include meteorites found on Mars, such as Heat Shield Rock.
