In late 2022, the Martian meteorite Amgala 001 was discovered in the Saguia el Hamra area. Martian meteorites make up only 0.5% of all finds, making it a valuable specimen.
Inside, it hides a greenish-gray core with olivine phenocrysts and shock veins – dark structures formed as a result of extreme pressures and temperatures. When a meteorite hits a planetary body, a huge amount of energy is released, creating a shock wave that travels through the rocks. This wave causes the material to melt and then rapidly solidify, forming dark, glassy veins known as shock veins.