NASA's Rover Robot Finds Strange Rock On The Surface Of Mars

NASA's Curiosity rover has made another discovery on Mars. (photo: NASA dock)

JAKARTA - NASA's Curiosity rover has again discovered something on Mars. It is claimed, it is a rock with a strange texture that resists the forces of erosion on the Red Planet.

When they found the rock, Curiosity was exploring the Gale crater, which is home to a mountain called Sharp. The rover robot also took some pictures of the crater.

Later, the images were put together into a mosaic view by citizen scientist Kevin Gill, and NASA planetary geologist Abigail Fraeman described the scene as a very strange image of rock texture that was interesting in an update to the rover's mission.

"I continue to be fascinated by the textures we're seeing, especially the prevalence of centimeter-sized bumps and bumps poking out of bedrock", Fraeman said.

Now the rover robot is examining the transition zone between the clay-bearing unit, an area rich in clay minerals, and the sulfate-bearing unit. Both regions hint that the region's past was potentially watery and of interest to scientists investigating whether Mars may have ever been habitable for microbial life.

The field of view for the curved image is only about 6.5 inches (16.5 centimeters), which means the entire formation is quite small. According to planetary geologist Michelle Minitti, the subtle curvature is likely composed of erosion-resistant material. Gale Crater is a dusty, windy, and rocky place.

Meanwhile, Martian geologist Gwénaël Caravaca also commented on the rock arch of the Gale crater on his Twitter, saying it could look like a snake, horn, or DNA strain.

Of course, these strange shapes become the favorite object of Mars fans. It is known, Curiosity has been exploring Gale Crater since 2012. This arch shows the many visual and geological wonders that veteran explorers can uncover while climbing the foot of Mount Sharp.