Emily Chan
A mysterious “zebra rock” has been spotted on Mars, and researchers have never seen anything like it before on the Red Planet, making it a one-of-a-kind find. NASA’s Perseverance rover captured images of the black-and-white striped rock on Mars’ Jezero crater.
On September 13, scientists acquired the images after the spacecraft had already left the area. The rock was named “Freya Castle” after a landmark in the United States’ Grand Canyon. It has a strange texture and stands out on the dusty, red landscape.
“Our knowledge of its chemical composition is limited, but early interpretations are that igneous and/or metamorphic processes could have created its stripes,” stated NASA representatives.
Igneous processes are associated with the crystallization and solidification of magma, while metamorphic processes refer to compositional changes in rocks due to high pressure and heat.
It makes sense because Mars was a volcanically active planet for millions of years, which could have provided the right environment for the rock to form.
The zebra rock is approximately eight inches across. The lighter-colored minerals might be feldspar, while the darker-colored minerals could be pyroxene or amphibole.
It is different from the bedrock on Mars, indicating that it came from somewhere else. One theory about the rock’s origin is that it rolled down from a spot higher up in the Jezero crater.
“This possibility has us excited,” said NASA representatives. “We hope that as we continue to drive uphill, Perseverance will encounter an outcrop of this new rock type so that more detailed measurements can be acquired.”
Currently, Perseverance is making its way up the steep slopes of the crater, marking the start of its fifth campaign called the Crater Rim Campaign. Scientists believe a river once emptied into a body of water at the crater. The rover is searching for signs of ancient life that might provide some hints about early Martian history.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
