Rover finds rock similar to meteorite
Posted: Sat, Apr 17, 2004, 1:13 PM ET (1713 GMT)
The Mars rover Opportunity has discovered a rock on the Martian surface that appears similar in composition to a class of meteorites found on Earth that scientists believed to have come from Mars. Scientists compared data from spectrometers on Opportunity to compare "Bounce Rock" to analyses of a class of Martian meteorites on Earth called shergottites. The comparison led scientists to conclude that Bounce Rock is similar in composition to several shergottites, notably one called EETA79001 that was found in Antarctica in 1979. Previous research linked shergottites to Mars through an analysis of bubbles of gas trapped in the meteorites, but previous studies had failed to turn up rocks on the Martian surface similar to those meteorites. Bounce Rock, so named because the airbag-encapsulated spacecraft bounced on the rock when it landed, appears to be made primarily of pyroxene, a volcanic mineral not seen elsewhere on the planet. The rock may have been ejected from an impact crater about 50 kilometers from the landing site.
The Mars rover Opportunity has discovered a rock on the Martian surface that appears similar in composition to a class of meteorites found on Earth that scientists believed to have come from Mars. Scientists compared data from spectrometers on Opportunity to compare "Bounce Rock" to analyses of a class of Martian meteorites on Earth called shergottites. The comparison led scientists to conclude that Bounce Rock is similar in composition to several shergottites, notably one called EETA79001 that was found in Antarctica in 1979. Previous research linked shergottites to Mars through an analysis of bubbles of gas trapped in the meteorites, but previous studies had failed to turn up rocks on the Martian surface similar to those meteorites. Bounce Rock, so named because the airbag-encapsulated spacecraft bounced on the rock when it landed, appears to be made primarily of pyroxene, a volcanic mineral not seen elsewhere on the planet. The rock may have been ejected from an impact crater about 50 kilometers from the landing site.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
US and UK militaries conduct coordinated satellite maneuvers
Posted: Sun, Sep 21 8:30 AM ET (1230 GMT) Blue Origin retires a New Shepard capsule after payload flight
Posted: Sun, Sep 21 8:25 AM ET (1225 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, October 16
Bad news about Starlink launch in South Africa
MyBroadband — 8:04 am ET (1204 GMT) Are Falling Starlink Satellites Really Poisoning the Stratosphere?
The National Interest — 8:03 am ET (1203 GMT) Army to prioritize counterspace tech in future budget requests
Defensescoop — 8:00 am ET (1200 GMT) Federal workers at Colorado military base work unpaid amid government shutdown 'stalemate'
KUSA-TV Denver — 8:00 am ET (1200 GMT) KBR Secures $98.7 Million Space Force Contract to Advance Digital Engineering Ecosystem
GlobeNewswire — 7:58 am ET (1158 GMT) |
