Strange "zebra stone" found on Mars that may shed light on the Red Planet's past
A striped rock has been found on Mars that is unlike any other that has been found here before. Scientists suggest that the "zebra stone" may shed light on the Red Planet's past.
The mysterious stone was discovered by NASA's Perseverance Mars rover. Initial measurements suggest that the discovery may be of volcanic origin, Space.com reports.
Perseverance has been exploring Mars since July 2020.
Source: Getty
"While driving through unremarkable pebbly terrain, team members spotted a stone in the distance with hints of an unusual texture," NASA said in a statement.
The striped stone, called Freya Castle, was found in the Jezero crater, where, according to scientists, there was once a lake. And it is in this place that scientists hope to find the remains of ancient alien life.
The Jezero crater on the Red Planet.
Source: Alamy
However, a group of scientists are confused by the find. After all, the 20-centimeter stone "does not resemble any of the stones from Jezero Crater found before, nor any other from the entirety of Mars," the researchers say.
Scientists assume that the found fragment is an igneous or metamorphic rock. It is quite possible that a combination of magmatic and metamorphic processes could have created its stripes. After all, igneous rocks are formed when hot molten rock crystallizes and hardens.
The zebra rock is unlike any other debris found on Mars so far.
Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
According to experts, metamorphic rocks change significantly as a result of external factors such as heat, pressure, or a mineral-rich environment.
"We hope that as Perseverance continues to move up the mountain, it will come across outcrops of this new type of rock so that more detailed measurements can be obtained," the team of scientists says.
The rover found the rock on a flat sandy plane above the deep sloping sides of a 1000-meter-deep crater.
Source: Getty
The researchers hope the find could provide fresh data on ancient rock types that were unearthed during the massive impact that formed the Jezero crater 3-3.7 billion years ago.
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