Mars rover finds surprising rock, nuzzles it and shoots it with lasers
The rock is not like other rocks seen on Mars. It has more sodium and potassium.
This NASA image from Mars Curiosity's Mast Camera taken on September 22 and released October 11 shows where NASA's Mars Curiosity rover aimed two different instruments to study a rock known as 'Jake Matijevic.'
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Reuters
The first聽rock聽nuzzled by NASA'蝉听惭补谤蝉听Curiosity rover is turning out to be a bit more unusual than scientists thought it would be.
Curiosity used its robot arm to touch at a football-sized pyramid-shaped聽rock聽for the first time two weeks ago. It also shot the聽rock聽dozens of times with a laser.
The results surprised scientists. They said Thursday that it is not like other聽rocks聽seen on聽Mars. It has more sodium and potassium.
Scientist Edward Stolper said the聽rock聽is more like rare volcanic聽rocks聽seen on Earth in places like Hawaii. Those聽rocks聽are formed under high pressure, deep underground and once contained water.
Scientists don't know how old the Martian聽rock聽is.