Mars Rover Spots Purple Rocks On Red Planet
- 7 years ago
Mars is often regarded as a barren, dusty place with a decidedly red tinge, but it appears the planet does have some color variety.
Mars is often regarded as a barren, dusty place with a decidedly red tinge, but it appears the planet does have some color variety.
NASA’s rover Curiosity recently sent back images that show a grouping of purple rocks.
The pictures were taken in early November as Curiosity rolled across the lower levels of Mount Sharp, notes the Huffington Post.
Experts have a couple of theories about what is behind the existence of the relatively eye-catching color.
NASA officials explained, “Variations in color of the rocks hint at the diversity of their composition on lower Mount Sharp. The purple tone of the foreground rocks has been seen in other rocks where Curiosity's Chemical and Mineralogy…instrument has detected hematite. Winds and windblown sand in this part of Curiosity's traverse and in this season tend to keep rocks relatively free of dust, which otherwise can cloak rocks' color.”
Also shown in the composite image are places Curiosity has yet to travel.
They include areas of Mount Sharp that are dominated by hematite, clay, and sulfate, the study of which may reveal more about the history of the Red Planet.
Mars is often regarded as a barren, dusty place with a decidedly red tinge, but it appears the planet does have some color variety.
NASA’s rover Curiosity recently sent back images that show a grouping of purple rocks.
The pictures were taken in early November as Curiosity rolled across the lower levels of Mount Sharp, notes the Huffington Post.
Experts have a couple of theories about what is behind the existence of the relatively eye-catching color.
NASA officials explained, “Variations in color of the rocks hint at the diversity of their composition on lower Mount Sharp. The purple tone of the foreground rocks has been seen in other rocks where Curiosity's Chemical and Mineralogy…instrument has detected hematite. Winds and windblown sand in this part of Curiosity's traverse and in this season tend to keep rocks relatively free of dust, which otherwise can cloak rocks' color.”
Also shown in the composite image are places Curiosity has yet to travel.
They include areas of Mount Sharp that are dominated by hematite, clay, and sulfate, the study of which may reveal more about the history of the Red Planet.