Volcanic Bumpy Boulder on Mars
Explanation:
What created this unusually textured rock on Mars?
Most probably: a
volcano.
Dubbed Bumpy Boulder, the strange stone measuring just under a
half-meter high was found by the
robotic Spirit rover
currently rolling across
Mars.
Pits on the
raged rock are likely
vesicles and arise from hot gas bubbling out of
hot rock ejected by an active
Martian volcano.
Several similar rocks are visible near Bumpy Boulder that
likely have a similar past.
The
above true-color image was taken about one month ago.
The
Spirit rover, now in its third year of operation on Mars,
is weathering the low sunlight winter of Mar's northern hemisphere on a
hillside slope in order to maximize the amount of absorbable
battery-refreshing sunlight.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
