Ancient meteorites reveal strong magnetic field in the early Solar System

MIT researchers found traces of an ancient magnetic field in microscopic grains from the DOM 08006 meteorite discovered in Antarctica in 2008. The field, dated to about 4.6 billion years ago, measured roughly 150–600 microteslas — 3 to 12 times stronger than Earth's today — suggesting magnetism helped shape the early Solar System.

• CAI grains in the DOM 08006 meteorite formed within the first 200,000 years of the Solar System
• Estimated ancient field strength was 150–600 microteslas, 3–12 times Earth's current field
• Magnetism may have moved gas inward through the protoplanetary disk toward the young Sun
• The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences