The Curiosity rover, despatched by American area company NASA to discover the Gale crater or Mars, has discovered some unusual rock formation on the Crimson Planet. The unusual, twisting buildings are seen poking out of the floor of Mars within the excessive decision picture despatched by the rover to the bottom station.
The SETI Institute, a not-for-profit analysis organisation targeted on trying to find life within the Universe, highlighted the picture in a tweet final week, calling it a “cool rock”. NASA too posted the raw image on its web site.
“The spikes are probably the cemented fillings of historic fractures in a sedimentary rock. The remainder of the rock was product of softer materials and was eroded away,” the institute additional mentioned within the tweet, providing an evidence for the shapes.
#PPOD: Right here is one other cool rock at Gale crater on Mars! The spikes are probably the cemented fillings of historic fractures in a sedimentary rock. The remainder of the rock was product of softer materials and was eroded away. 📷: @NASA@NASAJPL@Caltech#MSSS fredk, acquired on Might 17. pic.twitter.com/RGfjmRBfI7
— The SETI Institute (@SETIInstitute) May 26, 2022
Constructions like these are additionally present in some locations on Earth. Geologists imagine that these tall and skinny spires are shaped by erosional course of. Hoodoos are buildings the place laborious rock is located on high of sentimental rock.
Hoodoos are known as by many names, reminiscent of fairy chimneys, earth pyramids and tent rocks. They’re present in Utah’s Bryce Canyon, the Colorado Plateau or the Tokushima Prefecture in Japan.
NASA is inquisitive about such discoveries, that are anticipated to disclose extra details about the Gale crater’s historical past.
The photograph of the “spikes” was taken by a digital camera onboard the Curiosity rover on Might 15, in line with Vice News, only a week it discovered an uncommon construction within the rocks that seemed like a neatly carved out doorway nestled on the Crimson Planet. Many web customers have been puzzled by the {photograph}, claiming it to be a hidden alien entrance.
The picture was captured by the Curiosity rover at a geological function often known as Greenheugh Pediment on Might 7 and shared on Reddit by NASA.
Media shops like Unbiased mentioned that the unusual rock formation may very well be the product of a pure stress fracture attributable to a seismic exercise.
NASA’s Curiosity rover has been within the Gale Crater on Mars since November 2011.