The NASA Mars rover Perseverance has discovered a rock that resembles a donut.
According to Space, NASA’s Perseverance rover captured an image of an unusual rock on Mars on June 23. This rock is described as quite large, dark in color, and notably features a large hole in the center.
Raw image from the Perseverance rover showing the unusual rock on the surface of Mars. (Photo: NASA).
A representative from the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) stated that it is likely this rock did not originate from Mars and may have fallen from the sky. “It appears to be a large meteorite, along with many smaller pieces that broke off during its descent to Mars,” SETI noted.
This is not surprising, as Mars is the closest planet in the Solar System with an asteroid belt and is frequently struck by rocks from space.
Another factor is that on Mars, the atmosphere is only 1% as thick as Earth’s. This allows rocks to pass through it easily without breaking into many pieces or burning up. NASA has even recorded the sound of a meteorite striking the planet.
The mission of the Perseverance rover is to explore the Jezero Crater—a crater that was once a lake on Mars approximately 3.7 billion years ago. Additionally, the rover is collecting samples from this area, which are expected to be returned to Earth in 2030.
Further research on the samples from Mars could help humanity determine whether life ever existed on this planet.
