Oddly-shaped rocks are a common function on Mars and are the outcome of prolonged durations of erosion, much like on Earth. Mars experiences localized storms throughout the course of a Martian year, which last nearly twice as long as a year on Earth (687 Earth days).
Like the “jelly donut” rock observed by the Opportunity rover in January 2014, this particular rock might have formed after a smaller rock (or numerous) eroded near its. The SETI Institute chimed in on Twitter, recommending that the donut rock “could be a big meteorite along with smaller pieces.”
The pareidolia crowd makes sure to have a field day with this! Once once again, an oddly-shaped rock has actually been spotted on Mars. When again, the rock is donut-shaped. This specific rock was identified by NASAs Perseverance rover, which continues to explore the Jezero Crater in Mars northern hemisphere. The image was taken by the Remote Microscopic Imager (RMI), part of the SuperCam instrument, at a range of about 100 meters (328 feet) from the rover, on June 22nd, 2023– the 832nd Martian day (or sol) of the mission.
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The same rock was previously imaged by the Mastcam-Z instrument on April 15th, 2023, on sol 765 (image below), when the rover was at a distance of about 400 meters (1,312 feet). Together with its predecessors, Curiosity, Spirit, and Opportunity, the remains of numerous meteorite effects have been found on the Martian surface for many years. Thanks to Mars thin atmosphere, meteorites are more likely to leave fragments on the surface, and effect craters are much better preserved due to the absence of precipitation.
The Perseverance rover has actually been running on Mars considering that February 18th, 2021, and continues to check out the Jezero Crater– the site of a former lakebed. These samples will be obtained by the Mars Sample Return mission, a joint effort between NASA and the ESA consisting of an orbiter, lander, climb lorry, and two helicopters.
Credit: NASA, Space.com
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As soon as again, an oddly-shaped rock has been spotted on Mars. Oddly-shaped rocks are a typical feature on Mars and are the outcome of extended periods of disintegration, much like on Earth. Like the “jelly donut” rock observed by the Opportunity rover in January 2014, this specific rock might have formed after a smaller sized rock (or several) eroded near its. The very same rock was previously imaged by the Mastcam-Z instrument on April 15th, 2023, on sol 765 (image listed below), when the rover was at a range of about 400 meters (1,312 feet).