NASA’s Mars rovers have seen some spectacular sights on the red planet, including rocks that resemble sea creatures and Star Trek symbols. The latest eye-catching formation is a set of boulders spotted by the Curiosity rover in the Gale Crater. The rocks are “covered in paper-thin sedimentary layers like the pages of a book,” wrote Curiosity team member Deborah Padgett in a mission update on Sept. 10. The rocks highlight the diversity and complexity of the Martian landscape.
The page-like rock formations were unusual enough to catch the rover team’s eye and trigger a “thorough examination.” “Some layers have intriguing ripple structures that may have formed in running water or windblown sand,” Padgett said. “These features are the prime targets for contact science and remote observation at this location.”
Curiosity’s scrutiny of the paper-thin rocks could help scientists understand if wind or water was involved. NASA is interested in the history of water on Mars because water is a key ingredient for life as we know it. Curiosity and its newer sibling Perseverance are trying to help us understand whether or not Mars once hosted microbial life long ago.
The dark rocks are nicknamed “Tungsten Hills” for a California mining district. The fascinating forms seem to be defying gravity, but that’s not unusual for Mars. Curiosity famously spotted a delicate, suspended rock formation in the shape of a spoon in August 2015. Mars is a windy and dusty place, so erosion causes the fantastical shapes of some Martian rocks. Softer rock gets worn away while harder rock stays behind.
Curiosity has been in residence in the Gale Crater since 2012. It’s been making its way up the base of the crater’s massive central mountain, Mount Sharp. Lately, the rover has been exploring the Gediz Vallis channel, a possible ancient river channel. The rover delivered a stunning panorama of the area in March. NASA made an unexpected discovery in July when Curiosity rolled over a rock, broke it open and found pure sulfur. Scientists are still puzzling over how it got there and are on the lookout for more.
NASA is facing some extra challenges with Curiosity right now due to what the agency calls “occlusion season.” From Curiosity’s perspective, Earth is often positioned high in the Martian sky, but right now, it’s lower, and hilly terrain is making direct communication between the rover and its team more difficult,” NASA tweeted on X on Sept. 12.
Curiosity is able to talk directly to Earth through an on-board antenna, but Earth’s position and a big mountain nearby make it tough. The rover team has to time its communications to when the antenna isn’t blocked. It adds a layer of complexity to working with the rover, but it doesn’t crimp the mission’s style. Earth is on the rise from Curiosity’s perspective, so communications will get easier soon.
The rover continues to send back a stream of images and data, including details on Tungsten Hills and the strange book-like formations. It’s a fitting comparison since Mars rocks are like an ancient library that scientists are translating to figure out the planet’s enigmatic history.
