The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) rover Curiosity continues to send stunning images of the red planet’s surface to Earth. This time, a small, flower-shaped mineral just 1 cm wide was caught in his camera lens.
Although this object is very similar to terrestrial coral, it is not an organism, and this is not the first time such forms have been found on Mars. Curiosity depicts an unusual mineral near Mount Aiolis, also known as Mount Sharp. This is the central peak of the giant gale crater that Curiosity Rover has been studying since its arrival in 2012.
The image, published by NASA, is made up of several images. The ability to create integrated photographs allows you to create more detailed images of the surface of Mars. According to researchers, the unusual rock was formed from the water-rich minerals that were abundant on Mars in ancient times. During his stay in Gail Crater, he discovered many mineral forms similar to Curiosity, which is not particularly surprising because in the distant past this place could have been a large lake.
Interestingly, in 2004, the Opportunity Rover, Curiosity’s predecessor, discovered a number of bluish-silver spherical objects in the flat terrain near the equator of Mars, later known as the “Blueberry of Mars”. According to scientists, hematite, one of the types of iron oxide, gave the material its color because of its structure. At the same time, Curiosity has a texture and color almost identical to the rocks around the “mineral flower” that was photographed.
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