NASA rover spots something on Mars that doesnt belong there
NASA’s Perseverance rover has made an intriguing discovery on Mars: a peculiar rock that scientists believe may be an iron-nickel meteorite, informally named Phippsaksla. Measuring over 2.5 feet across, this oddly shaped rock stands out against the flat, fractured landscape of the Jezero crater, which the rover has been exploring since its landing in 2021. The mission team focused on the rock after it captured their attention for its unique features and prominent position in the terrain. Although Perseverance photographed Phippsaksla on September 2 and September 19, the announcement of this potential find was delayed due to a federal government shutdown that hindered communications from NASA, with details only becoming public on November 13.
If confirmed as a meteorite, Phippsaksla would mark a significant milestone for the Perseverance mission, as it would be the first meteorite identified by the rover. Previous rovers, such as Curiosity, Opportunity, and Spirit, have cataloged several metal-rich meteorites, particularly in Gale Crater, located about 2,000 miles away from Jezero. The absence of iron-nickel meteorites along Perseverance’s path has puzzled scientists, with Candice Bedford, a research scientist from Purdue University, noting the unexpected lack of such meteorites in Jezero crater, given its geological similarities to Gale crater. Initial readings from Perseverance’s SuperCam, which uses a laser to analyze rock composition, revealed high levels of iron and nickel—elements typically found in meteorites that originate from deep within large asteroids, suggesting that Phippsaksla may have formed elsewhere before landing on Mars.
Meteorites are a common occurrence in the solar system, with an estimated 48.5 tons reaching Earth daily, although most burn up in the atmosphere or fall into oceans. Only around 60,000 meteorites have been identified on our planet. While most known meteorites come from asteroids, a small number have lunar or Martian origins, with at least 175 Martian meteorites found on Earth. These are generally igneous rocks formed from magma. The Martian environment, characterized by a thin atmosphere and harsh conditions, allows iron-nickel meteorites to survive well, which may explain why they can be found perched on flat ground instead of being embedded in craters. As Perseverance continues its exploration of older bedrock outside Jezero crater, scientists are eager to conduct further analysis on Phippsaksla to determine its origin and, if confirmed as a meteorite, to add it to the growing list of rocky visitors to Mars studied by rovers.
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NASA
’s
Perseverance
rover has identified an exotic rock on
Mars
that may be an iron-nickel
meteorite
, according to scientists on the mission team.
The oddly sculpted rock, nicknamed Phippsaksla, measures more than 2.5 feet across and drew researchers’ attention because it jutted above the surrounding flat, fractured terrain. Perseverance targeted the object for closer study while working outside Jezero crater, the river-carved basin the rover has explored since landing in 2021.
The rover, a car-size mobile laboratory, photographed Phippsaksla on Sept. 2 and Sept. 19. But the public is only now learning of the find. A prolonged federal government shutdown delayed routine communications from the U.S.
space
agency, and NASA did not post details of the detection — along with other mission updates — until Nov. 13.
If confirmed as a meteorite, Phippsaksla would be the first such discovery for Perseverance. The Curiosity rover has cataloged several metal-rich meteorites during its exploration of Gale Crater
roughly 2,000 miles away
, and earlier rovers, Opportunity and Spirit, found these foreign rocks as well. Their absence along Perseverance’s route has puzzled mission scientists.
“It has been somewhat unexpected that Perseverance had not seen iron-nickel meteorites within Jezero crater,” said Candice Bedford, a Purdue University research scientist, in a delayed Oct. 1
mission update
, “particularly given its similar age to Gale crater and number of smaller impact craters suggesting that meteorites did fall on the crater floor, delta, and crater rim throughout time.”
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Initial readings from Perseverance’s SuperCam, an instrument that fires a laser to analyze a rock’s composition, revealed high levels of iron and nickel, a combination commonly found in meteorites that originate deep inside large asteroids. The chemistry suggests the rock formed elsewhere before landing on Mars.
Meteorites are common in the solar system, but harder to spot on Earth. Scientists estimate that about 48.5 tons of this
debris
reach the planet each day, most of it burning up in the atmosphere or falling into oceans. Only about 60,000 meteorites have been identified on Earth to date.
The oddly sculpted rock, nicknamed Phippsaksla, measures more than 2.5 feet across and drew researchers’ attention because it jutted above the surrounding flat, fractured terrain.
Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU
Most known meteorites come from asteroids, though a small number originate from the
moon
or Mars. At least
175 Martian meteorites
have been found on Earth — all igneous rocks that once crystallized from magma.
On Mars itself, iron-nickel meteorites tend to survive well in the thin atmosphere and harsh environment. Since 2005, The Meteoritical Society, an international organization that
tracks such finds
, has formally recognized 15 Martian meteorites spotted by rovers. Curiosity’s 2023 discovery of
a foot-wide rock nicknamed Cacao
, also believed to be metal-rich, is not yet among them.
Phippsaksla, possibly a meteorite, sits on Martian terrain outside the Jezero crater rim in the upper left corner of this image.
Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU
Scientists suspect iron meteorites might be able to resist erosion on Mars, which may explain why some appear perched on flat ground rather than embedded in craters. In other cases, a crater may have weathered away long ago, leaving only the rock behind.
Perseverance is now operating on older bedrock mottled by past impacts outside Jezero crater, a setting where meteorites may be more likely. Mission researchers are planning further analysis to determine Phippsaksla’s origin.
“If this rock is deemed to be a meteorite,” Bedford wrote, “Perseverance can at long last add itself to the list of Mars rovers who have investigated the fragments of rocky visitors to Mars.”
