NASA rover photographs rock unlike any other seen on Mars before

NASA's Perseverance rover that's exploring the surface of Mars snapped an image of a striped rock that has perked the interest of researchers.

NASA rover photographs rock unlike any other seen on Mars before
Comment IconFacebook IconX IconReddit Icon
Tech and Science Editor
Published
1 minute & 15 seconds read time

NASA has taken to its blog to share a discovery by its Mars rover that has piqued the interest of researchers for its uniqueness.

NASA rover photographs rock unlike any other seen on Mars before 615651156

The space agency writes its Mars rover named Perseverance, which has been exploring the Jezero Crater since 2021, snapped an image of a black-and-white striped rock. According to NASA, this is the first time a rock with a striped pattern such as this has been discovered on Mars, with the space agency writing the rock is "unlike any seen on Mars before."

NASA writes in its blog post that the rock is called "Freya Castle" which is a nod to the Grand Canyon for its appearance. Additionally, NASA explains that after further inspection with the rover's instruments it was determined Freya Castle measures around 7.87 inches across and has alternating black and white stripes. NASA writes researchers believe the rock as a texture unlike any seen in the Jezero Crater before, and even all of Mars.

"The science team thinks that this rock has a texture unlike any seen in Jezero Crater before, and perhaps all of Mars. Our knowledge of its chemical composition is limited, but early interpretations are that igneous and/or metamorphic processes could have created its stripes.

Since Freya Castle is a loose stone that is clearly different from the underlying bedrock, it has likely arrived here from someplace else, perhaps having rolled downhill from a source higher up. This possibility has us excited, and we hope that as we continue to drive uphill, Perseverance will encounter an outcrop of this new rock type so that more detailed measurements can be acquired," explains NASA

Photo of the KingSpec NX Series 512GB Gen3x4 NVMe M.2 SSD
Best Deals: KingSpec NX Series 512GB Gen3x4 NVMe M.2 SSD
Country flag Today 7 days ago 30 days ago
$37.99 USD $37.99 USD
Buy
$29.99 USD $30.99 USD
Buy
$45.98 CAD $59.98 CAD
Buy
$36.99 CAD $40.99 CAD
Buy
£26.99 £38.99
Buy
$37.99 USD $37.99 USD
Buy
* Prices last scanned on 3/6/2025 at 4:11 pm CST - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission from any sales.

Tech and Science Editor

Email IconX IconLinkedIn Icon

Jak joined the TweakTown team in 2017 and has since reviewed 100s of new tech products and kept us informed daily on the latest science, space, and artificial intelligence news. Jak's love for science, space, and technology, and, more specifically, PC gaming, began at 10 years old. It was the day his dad showed him how to play Age of Empires on an old Compaq PC. Ever since that day, Jak fell in love with games and the progression of the technology industry in all its forms.

Related Topics

Newsletter Subscription