NASA ‘Excited’ to Discover Strange Zebra Rock on Mars

There are few things in space that are only black and white – but this strange rock certainly is.

NASA’s Perseverance rover has discovered a strange black-and-white rock unlike anything ever seen on Mars before, stunning scientists and the internet.

The agency says This could be a “sign of exciting discoveries to come.”

The team spotted the rock from a distance “with hints of an unusual texture” in low-resolution images while driving through “normal gravel terrain.” After closer inspection, they measured the striped rock to be about 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) wide, and named it “Freya’s Castle.”

“When this data was downloaded two days after Perseverance left the area, it became clear how strange it was!” NASA exclaimed.

Early interpretations suggest that the melting, movement, and cooling of magma and lava may have created the rock lines, as with igneous rocks They form when hot molten rock crystallizes and solidifies.

Mars was a volcanically active planet for millions of years, which may have created the environment in which these rocks could form.

“This rock has a texture unlike any rock seen in Jezero Crater before, and perhaps on all of Mars,” the agency said.

While the internet has its own theories about what this “zebra rock” might be, NASA’s science team believes that “because Freya’s Castle is a loose stone that is clearly distinct from the underlying rock, it likely arrived here from somewhere else, perhaps after rolling down from a higher source.”

“This possibility excites us, and we hope that as we continue to drive upward, Perseverance will encounter an outcrop of this new type of rock so that more detailed measurements can be obtained,” NASA’s statement continued.

The rover first landed in Jezero Crater in February 2021, and is searching for rocks that could provide information and insight into Mars’ ancient history – and Freya’s Castle is the latest discovery.

The team found an increasing diversity of rocks, including a variety of A group of rocks In “Mount Washburn”.

“Could these be our first glimpses of ancient rocks that rose from the depths as a result of the Jezero impact, and are now visible on the rim of the crater? Only time will tell,” NASA said.