NASA’s Perseverance rover has been busy exploring the Martian surface, often finding ordinary rocks. But recently, it stumbled upon something quite unusual while investigating an area called “Vernodden” at the Jezero Crater. This peculiar rock, measuring about 31 inches (80 centimeters) wide and named “Phippsaksla,” stands out with its unique shape and height compared to the surrounding flat rocks.
Perseverance’s team is eager to learn more. Initial tests suggest that Phippsaksla might be a meteorite, rich in iron and nickel. While such meteorites are rare on Earth, they are more common on Mars. This is the first time Perseverance has found one near Jezero Crater, adding to the rover’s discoveries.
Using its SuperCam tool, Perseverance analyzed Phippsaksla’s composition. This device combines a camera, laser, and spectrometers to examine the chemical makeup of rocks. So far, the elements detected point toward an origin in the solar system, perhaps from an ancient asteroid.
These meteorites come from the cores of early worlds. When asteroids melted long ago, dense metals sank to the center, forming iron-nickel cores. Collisions between these asteroids and other celestial bodies broke off fragments that are now meteorites.
Other Martian rovers, like Curiosity, have found several meteorites in the Gale Crater. For instance, in 2023, Curiosity discovered a one-foot-wide meteorite called “Cacao.” Both the Spirit and Opportunity rovers also reported similar findings during their missions.
It’s interesting that it took Perseverance this long to discover an iron-nickel meteorite, given that Jezero Crater shares a similar age with Gale Crater. Signs of past impacts in Jezero suggest that meteorites have entered this area over time.
To confirm whether Phippsaksla is truly an iron-nickel meteorite, Perseverance will use additional tools like the Planetary Instrument for X-Ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) to get a clearer picture of the rock’s chemistry.
Furthermore, Perseverance is the first rover capable of collecting and storing rock samples for a possible return to Earth. Although there’s uncertainty surrounding the future of NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission, it’s exciting to think that Phippsaksla could eventually be part of that.
As scientists continue to study this unique find, the rover will keep exploring. With its mission still ongoing, we can expect more fascinating discoveries from this incredible vehicle exploring the Red Planet.
Learn more about the mission on NASA’s official website.
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Mars,meteorites,NASA,Perseverance rover
