macaulayite
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Macaulayite is a red, earthy, monoclinic mineral, with the chemical formula (Fe3+,Al)24Si4O43(OH)2. It was discovered in the 1970s by Jeff Wilson and named after the Macaulay Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland. The only known source of macaulayite in the world is a quarry at the foot of Bennachie, Aberdeenshire, and it is formed by granite which has been weathered by tropical climates from before the last ice age. The substance is currently being studied by NASA, as it is speculated that this is the substance which gives the planet Mars its colour and it could prove that life on Mars can be susta
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- Nickel-Strunz '10th ed', review of (9th ed/ 2009 update)
- 9.EC.65
- Nickel-Strunz 9th edition (updated 2009)
- 9.EC.65
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- Macaulayite
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- Mcy
- chemical formula
- (Fe,Al)₂₄Si₄O₄₃(OH)₂
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Macaulayite is a red, earthy, monoclinic mineral, with the chemical formula (Fe3+,Al)24Si4O43(OH)2. It was discovered in the 1970s by Jeff Wilson and named after the Macaulay Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland. The only known source of macaulayite in the world is a quarry at the foot of Bennachie, Aberdeenshire, and it is formed by granite which has been weathered by tropical climates from before the last ice age. The substance is currently being studied by NASA, as it is speculated that this is the substance which gives the planet Mars its colour and it could prove that life on Mars can be sustained.
==Study by NASA== The American space agency NASA is currently carrying out studies on macaulayite, as they believe that the substance might be present on the planet Mars. NASA scientists speculate that macaulayite may be what gives the planet its red colour. Also, as macaulayite is formed in the presence of water, the existence of the mineral on Mars may help to prove that the planet could contain resources needed to sustain life.