Allan Hills 84001 facts for kids
Allan Hills 84001 (often called ALH84001) is a special space rock. It is a meteorite that came from Mars. Scientists found it in Allan Hills, Antarctica. This happened on December 27, 1984. A team of American meteorite hunters discovered it. They were part of the ANSMET project. When they found it, the meteorite weighed about 1.93 kilograms. This is like the weight of a small bowling ball.
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What is ALH84001?
ALH84001 is a type of meteorite. It is believed to have come from the planet Mars. Most meteorites from Mars belong to groups called SNCs. These groups are named after places where similar meteorites were found. ALH84001 is different from these other groups. It is unique among the Martian meteorites.
How Did ALH84001 Get to Earth?
Scientists think a huge impact hit Mars. This impact could have been from an asteroid or comet. The collision was so powerful it blasted pieces of Mars into space. One of these pieces traveled through space for millions of years. Eventually, it landed on Earth in Antarctica.
Why is ALH84001 So Important?
ALH84001 became very famous in 1996. Scientists announced they had found signs of possible ancient life inside it. This discovery caused a lot of excitement. It made people wonder if life could have existed on Mars.
What Did Scientists Find?
Scientists looked closely at the meteorite. They found tiny structures inside it. These structures looked like very small fossils of bacteria. They also found certain chemicals. These chemicals are often made by living things. These findings suggested that simple life forms might have once lived on Mars.
The Debate About Martian Life
The idea of life on Mars from ALH84001 was very exciting. However, not all scientists agreed. Some thought the structures were too small to be fossils. Others believed the chemicals could have formed without life. They suggested non-living processes could create them. The debate continues even today.
What We Learned from ALH84001
Even with the debate, ALH84001 taught us a lot. It showed us that rocks can travel between planets. It also pushed scientists to look for life on Mars even more. Missions like the Mars rovers are still searching for answers. This meteorite helped start that important search.
Images for kids
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ALH84001 on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
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Electron microscopy revealed chain structures resembling living organisms in meteorite fragment ALH84001
See also
In Spanish: ALH84001 para niños
