While continuing to explore Mars, NASA revealed its team of scientists discovered an unusual, Zebra stripe rock on the red planet’s surface.
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Last month, NASA sent a rover, Perseverance, onto Mars’ surface. It has been hunting for ancient rocks. These rocks “could teach us about early Martian history.” As Perseverance made its way through steep slopes to the crater rim, it discovered the “cobble in the distance with hints of an unusual texture in low-resolution Navcam images.”
NASA scientists dubbed the striped rock, “Freya Castle.”
“‘Freya Castle’ is around 20 cm across, and has a striking pattern with alternating black and white stripes,” NASA stated. The organization then stated that the rock’s online debut shocked the internet.
“The internet immediately lit up with speculation about what this “zebra rock” might be, and we’ve enjoyed reading your theories!”
NASA’s science team believes the rock has a texture unlike any seen in Jezero Crater before. Maybe perhaps all of Mars. “Our knowledge of its chemical composition is limited, but early interpretations are that igneous and/or metamorphic processes could have created its stripes.”
NASA Scientists Believe Striped Rock On Mars May Be From Someplace Else
NASA further observed that since “Freya Castle” is a loose stone that is noticeably different from the underlying bedrock, it likely arrived on Mars from someplace else.
“Perhaps having rolled downhill from a source higher up,” NASA revealed. “This possibility has us excited, and we hope that as we continue to drive uphill, Perseverance will encounter an outcrop of this new rock type so that more detailed measurements can be acquired.”
Meanwhile, NASA confirms that “Freya Castle” is the latest in a series of rocks found on Mars. Since its arrival, the scientific team has seen an increased variety of rocks. That includes a collection of boulders at “Mount Washburn.”
“Could these be our first glimpses at ancient rocks uplifted from depth by the Jezero impact, now exposed on the crater rim?” NASA questioned. “Only time will tell…”
According to its description, the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover is on a mission to find signs of ancient microbial life. It is also looking to advance NASA’s quest to explore the past habitability of Mars. The rover is collecting core samples of Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and soil). The samples will be used for potential pickup by a future mission that would bring them to Earth for detailed study.
The rover previously landed on Jezero Crater, which is 28 miles (45 kilometers) wide. It is located on Isidis Planitia, which is north of the Martian equator. The landing site is about 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) from Curiosity’s landing site in Gale Crater.