Mars researchers are amazed: bone-like rock causes amazement
In its 10+ years on Mars, Curiosity has caught the camera a lot that surprises and fascinates scientists and ordinary Earth-dwellers alike. Now, however, a rock lying at the base of the 154 km long Gale Crater is attracting a lot of attention. At first glance, it has a structure that looks bone-like, some want to see fishbones in it.
What the rover captured there on Martian day Sol 3786, i.e. on April 1, is definitely a rock formation that scientists have never encountered before. And so it doesn’t take long before the usual speculations about a supposedly non-natural origin are circulating on the internet. Science promptly rejects this, but even experienced Mars experts have to admit that this find is surprising.
Amazing discovery at Gale Crater
“In 20 years of Martian exploration, this is the most bizarre rock I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to get a microscopic picture of it,” said astrobiologist Nathalie A. Cabrol, who has spent more than 20 decades researching the planet red planet has made a name for itself.
If you look at the big Panorama of Gale Crater where the rock recordings can be found, it quickly becomes apparent that other rock around the curious find was similarly formed by erosion. In the case of the object that has been the subject of so much discussion, however, the characteristics of the bone-like structures are particularly clear. Despite all this, there is of course room for harmless wishful thinking: “I would like to believe that this is the back of a petrified Martian dragon, which has curled up in its last resting place,” said one comment.
- Curiosity Rover photographs curious rock at Gale Crater: bony structure.
- Scientists surprised speculation about non-natural origin.
- Experienced Mars experts puzzled, astrobiologist expects microscopic image.
- Rocks around rocks similarly formed by erosion.
See also:
space, space travel, images, nasa, mars, image, planet, recording, curious, rock
Nathalie A Cabrol
