NASA’s Perseverance rover discovered unusual stones on Mars during its fourth campaign exploring Jezero Crater.
The rover came upon a hill covered in boulders, including one nicknamed “Atoko Point” that was starkly different than surrounding rocks. It was almost pale in color versus the darker surrounding rocks.
Upon visual inspection, the rock appears to be composed of pyroxene and feldspar minerals, suggesting an underground igneous origin. However, its composition is unlike surrounding rocks so it may have been transported by water.
The boulder’s composition indicates it is likely an anorthosite rock, which has never been seen on Mars before. On Earth, anorthosites are found associated with the moon and ancient crust.
The discovery of this unusual rock type suggests Mars’ early crust development may parallel Earth’s more than previously believed. Finding more rocks of this type could provide clues about Mars’ earliest crust formation.
NASA scientists will now be on the lookout for other similar rocks to understand where Atoko Point originated and what it reveals about Mars’ geology. The find hints there is more diversity in Martian rock types than known so far.
Source: futurism
