NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover has supplied a nighttime picture of the Malgosa Crest abrasion patch positioned at “Serpentine Rapids.” This picture was captured utilizing the SHERLOC WATSON digital camera on the rover’s robotic arm. The abrasion patch, measuring 5 centimetres in diameter, encompasses a notable inexperienced spot, roughly 2 millimetres broad. The picture was taken on August 19, 2024, through the 1,243rd Martian day of the Mars 2020 mission.
Persevering with the Journey of Discovery
Following its sampling of the “leopard spots” at “Brilliant Angel,” Perseverance continued its exploration of this fascinating area. Roughly 20 sols later, after navigating south from Brilliant Angel throughout Neretva Vallis, the rover encountered putting pink rocks at Serpentine Rapids. Then there it created an abrasion patch in a pink rock formation often called “Wallace Butte.” This patch revealed an array of colors, together with white, black and inexperienced hues.
Understanding the Geological Significance
The discovery of inexperienced spots shocked the rover workforce. These spots, consisting of darkish cores surrounded by fuzzy, gentle inexperienced rims, current a singular geological characteristic. On Earth, pink rocks usually derive their hue from oxidized iron, just like the color of blood or rust. The formation of inexperienced spots, like these discovered at Wallace Butte, is widespread in historical “pink beds” on our planet. This course of happens when liquid water seeps by way of sediment, triggering a chemical response that alters the iron’s oxidation state, leading to a greenish tint.
Exploring Potential Origins of Inexperienced Spots
Whereas such adjustments can contain microbial exercise on Earth, they will additionally come up from decaying natural matter or interactions between sulfur and iron. Sadly, the rover was unable to analyse the inexperienced spots immediately because of area constraints. Consequently, their exact composition code
