Curiosity identifies unusual disc-shaped rocks on Mars
NASA's Curiosity rover has spotted jumbled, disc-shaped lumps in rocks on Mars—features not seen in recent exploration of the sulfate-rich region. To learn what they're made of, the rover's team is using its imaging and chemical instruments, and plans to drill into the new site for a closer look. These observations could explain how minerals formed as water evaporated, providing clues about past environmental conditions.
- Curiosity saw disc-shaped rock features unlike recent sites
- Some discs may have formed from minerals crystallizing in evaporating fluids
- Rover will drill and analyze samples from new site
- Mapping sediment structures in nearby buttes is underway
- Results may clarify Mars' ancient environments
Sources covering this
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