Unusual Spheres on Mars
Explanation:
Why are these strange little spheres on Mars?
The robotic
rover Opportunity chanced across
these unusually shaped beads earlier this month while exploring a place named
Kirkwood near the rim of Mars'
Endeavor Crater.
The
above image taken by Opportunity's
Microscopic Imager shows that some ground near the rover is filled with these
unusual spheres, each spanning only about 3 millimeters.
At first glance, the sometimes-fractured balls appear similar to the small rocks
dubbed
blueberries seen by Opportunity eight years ago, but
these spheres are densely compacted and have little iron content.
Although it is thought that
these orbs formed naturally, which natural processes formed them remain unknown.
Opportunity, an older sibling
to the recently deployed
Curiosity rover, will continue to study these spheres
with the hope that they will provide a new clue to the ancient history of the surface
of the
red planet.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
