Curiosity finds rare meteorite on Mars
- February 6, 2023
- 0
NASA’s Curiosity rover has found a rare metallic meteorite in Gale Crater on the Red Planet. This was reported by Ukrinform with reference to Science Alert. The rover
NASA’s Curiosity rover has found a rare metallic meteorite in Gale Crater on the Red Planet.
This was reported by Ukrinform with reference to Science Alert.
The rover took six photos of the meteorite on the 3724th Martian day of the mission.
The publication writes that the 30 cm diameter meteorite is composed mainly of nickel and iron. It’s called “cocoa”.
Cocoa visually stands out from the Red Planet environment. The meteorite is smooth and round, with dark gray and metallic hues – clear signs that it has passed through the atmosphere.
Pits and grooves, which scientists call rhegmaglypts, can also be seen on the meteorite’s surface. They were formed when cocoa circulated through the atmosphere.
Although Mars’ atmosphere is much thinner than Earth’s, it still creates enough friction to heat an asteroid’s surface. Rhegmaglypts were probably created by hot gas eddies that melted the rock.
Curiosity is a car-sized robotic rover that explores Mars and is part of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory program. Launched from Cape Canaveral on 26 November 2011.
Photo: Phys.org
Source: Ukrinform
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