Unusual Rocks near Pahrump Hills on Mars
Explanation:
How did these Martian rocks form?
As the robotic
Curiosity rover
has approached
Pahrump Hills on
Mars,
it has seen an interesting and textured landscape dotted by some unusual rocks.
The
featured image shows a
curiously round rock spanning about two centimeters across.
Seemingly a larger version of
numerous spherules
dubbed
blueberries found by the
Opportunity rover on Mars in 2004,
what caused this roundness remains unknown.
Possibilities include
frequent tumbling in flowing water,
sprayed molten rock
in a volcanic eruption, or a
concretion mechanism.
The
inset image, taken a few days later, shows another small but unusually shaped
rock structure.
As Curiosity rolls around
and up
Mount Sharp, different layers of the landscape will be
imaged and studied to better understand the ancient history of the region and to
investigate whether
Mars could once have
harbored life.
APOD Wall Calendar:
Moons and Planets
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.
