The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently announced that the Curiosity rover has photographed a flower-like object from the surface of Mars.
In the published photo, an object that looks like a cactus stands out. Covered in sand, it reminds me of coral in the sea. However, these are rocks formed by minerals, not organisms.
Abigail Freyman, a planetary geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), said, “A unique type of mineral has been discovered in the past.”
Sulfates usually form around water as it evaporates, providing evidence that Mars once flowed. “(The rocks made from minerals) help us better understand the history of the waters that flowed into the Gale Crater long ago,” NASA said.
Curiosity also discovered a unique type of rock in August of last year. It has a strange arch shape that resists the wind.
The rocks in the photo look like snakes or DNA mutations. Michelle Minity, a planetary geologist at NASA, said: “The image of Mars’ Gale Crater is dusty and windy.
Curiosity, which has spent 3407 sols (one day on Mars) from Mars as of today, is currently continuing its exploration activities for 10 years. In the meantime, the rover has been continuously moving and analyzing the geology and soil of Mars. Curiosity actually did a great job of discovering traces of water flow on Mars a long time ago, and evidence of methane and nitrates necessary for life.
Reporter Min-ha Yang (mh.yang@etnews.com), Electronic Newspaper Internet
