Rocks from Mars are found in Morocco

WASHINGTON - They came from Mars, not in peace, but in pieces.

Scientists have confirmed that 15 pounds of rock collected recently in Morocco fell to Earth from Mars during a meteorite shower in July.

It was only the fifth time that scientists chemically confirmed Martian meteorites that people had witnessed falling. The fireball was spotted in the sky six months ago, but the rocks were not discovered on the ground in North Africa until the end of December.

The find is an important opportunity for scientists trying to learn about Mars' potential for life. So far, no NASA or Russian spacecraft has returned bits of Mars, so the only samples scientists can examine that are not contaminated are those that come here in a meteorite shower.

Scientists and collectors are ecstatic, since the rocks are among the rarest things on Earth - rarer even than gold. The biggest rock weighs more than 2 pounds.

A committee of meteorite experts confirmed test results Tuesday that showed the rocks came from Mars, based on their age and chemical signature. Astronomers think that millions of years ago, something big smashed into Mars and sent rocks hurtling through the solar system. After a long journey through space, one of those rocks plunged through Earth's atmosphere, breaking into smaller pieces.

Most Martian meteorite samples sat around on Earth for millions of years - or at least decades - before being discovered, which makes them tainted with Earth materials. These new rocks, while still likely to be somewhat contaminated because they have been on Earth for months, are purer.

The last time a Martian meteorite fell and was found fresh was in 1962. All the known Martian rocks on Earth add up to less than 240 pounds.

The new samples were scooped up by dealers from those who found them. Even before the official certification, scientists at NASA, museums, and universities scrambled to buy or trade these meteorites. Meteorite dealer Darryl Pitt said he was charging $11,000 to $22,500 an ounce and had sold most of his supply.

One of the key findings Tuesday was to officially connect these rocks to the fiery plunge witnessed by people and captured on video last summer.