NASA's Perseverance rover recently came across an unusually shaped rock that is about 31 inches wide, and almost an oddity on the Red Planet. The discovery was made in the Vernodden area of Jezero Crater, the Martian region the rover has been scanning since it landed there in 2021. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has named the "Phippsaksla" and believes it is likely a meteorite. What intrigued scientists back home about the rock was its sculpted, high-standing appearance. The other rocks in the area were flat and low-lying. The SuperCam instrument, which examines rocks and soils using a camera, laser and spectrometers, revealed that it had high iron and nickel content. These materials are typically associated with meteorites that form inside the core of larger asteroids. This was a hint that the rock wasn't always on Mars and came from someplace else in the solar system.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/-most-compelling-evidence-to-date-nasa-s-perseverance-may-have-found-traces-of-life-on-the-red-planet-1757520653568">'Most compelling evidence to date...': NASA's Perseverance may have found traces of life on the red planet</a>&nbsp;<h2>Curiosity rover also found meteorites on Mars&nbsp;</h2>The rover is also checking the rock to ascertain whether it could be somehow linked to life on Mars that is believed to have existed on the planet billions of years ago. Similar meteorite-like rocks have been found on Mars in the past as well. The Curiosity rover found a few of these in the Gale crater, including &nbsp;“Lebanon” in 2014 and the “Cacao” meteorite in 2023. Opportunity and Spirit also came across iron-nickel meteorites while traversing the Red Planet. The NASA team will carry out more investigations to confirm that this rock is definitely a meteorite. If the results come back positive, Perseverance will be able to add its name to the list of Martian rovers that have found outer space visitors.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/indian-scientists-observe-3i-atlas-behaving-like-a-typical-solar-system-comet-1763614445349">Indian scientists observe 3I/ATLAS: Behaving like a 'typical' solar system comet</a>&nbsp;In September, NASA announced that it had found the strongest evidence yet of past life on Mars. A rock sample named “Sapphire Canyon,” collected from a dried riverbed in the Jezero Crater, was found to be carrying chemical signatures that scientists say could be of biological origin. It was located in an area known as the “Cheyava Falls” in 2024, located in a geological area known as the Bright Angel formation. This site is believed to have been shaped by flowing water billions of years ago. “This is the most compelling evidence to date for potential ancient life on Mars,” NASA’s acting administrator Sean Duffy said at the time.&nbsp;

NASA's Perseverance rover spotted a strange-looking rock on Mars that didn't belong there. It ran some scans, and the data revealed that it didn't come from the Red Planet but some other far-off point in space. Is it a meteorite?

NASA's Perseverance rover recently came across an unusually shaped rock that is about 31 inches wide, and almost an oddity on the Red Planet. The discovery was made in the Vernodden area of Jezero Crater, the Martian region the rover has been scanning since it landed there in 2021. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has named the "Phippsaksla" and believes it is likely a meteorite. What intrigued scientists back home about the rock was its sculpted, high-standing appearance. The other rocks in the area were flat and low-lying. The SuperCam instrument, which examines rocks and soils using a camera, laser and spectrometers, revealed that it had high iron and nickel content. These materials are typically associated with meteorites that form inside the core of larger asteroids. This was a hint that the rock wasn't always on Mars and came from someplace else in the solar system. Also Read: 'Most compelling evidence to date...': NASA's Perseverance may have found traces of life on the red planet Curiosity rover also found meteorites on Mars The rover is also checking the rock to ascertain whether it could be somehow linked to life on Mars that is believed to have existed on the planet billions of years ago. Similar meteorite-like rocks have been found on Mars in the past as well. The Curiosity rover found a few of these in the Gale crater, including “Lebanon” in 2014 and the “Cacao” meteorite in 2023. Opportunity and Spirit also came across iron-nickel meteorites while traversing the Red Planet. The NASA team will carry out more investigations to confirm that this rock is definitely a meteorite. If the results come back positive, Perseverance will be able to add its name to the list of Martian rovers that have found outer space visitors. Also Read: Indian scientists observe 3I/ATLAS: Behaving like a 'typical' solar system comet In September, NASA announced that it had found the strongest evidence yet of past life on Mars. A rock sample named “Sapphire Canyon,” collected from a dried riverbed in the Jezero Crater, was found to be carrying chemical signatures that scientists say could be of biological origin. It was located in an area known as the “Cheyava Falls” in 2024, located in a geological area known as the Bright Angel formation. This site is believed to have been shaped by flowing water billions of years ago. “This is the most compelling evidence to date for potential ancient life on Mars,” NASA’s acting administrator Sean Duffy said at the time.

NASA's Perseverance rover spotted a strange-looking rock on Mars that didn't belong there. It ran some scans, and the data revealed that it didn't come from the Red Planet but some other far-off point in space. Is it a meteorite?

Aliens on Mars? NASA rover stumbles upon object that doesn't belong there

NASA’s Perseverance rover may have uncovered the strongest clue yet that microbial life once existed on Mars. A rock sample named “Sapphire Canyon,” collected from a dried riverbed in Jezero Crater, contains chemical signatures that scientists say could be of biological origin, according to new research published in Nature. The sample was extracted from a rock called “Cheyava Falls” in 2024, located in a geological area known as the Bright Angel formation — a site believed to have been shaped by flowing water long ago. The presence of certain minerals and organic molecules in this sample raises the possibility that it holds a “potential biosignature” — a feature or substance that may indicate past life, although further analysis is required to be certain.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-no-way-not-going-to-happen-acting-nasa-chief-duffy-says-china-will-not-beat-us-to-the-moon-1757520784597">'No way, not going to happen': Acting NASA chief Duffy says China will not beat US to the Moon</a>&nbsp;“This is the most compelling evidence to date for potential ancient life on Mars,” said NASA’s acting administrator Sean Duffy. “It’s a major step forward in our search for life beyond Earth.” Perseverance began studying the Bright Angel formation — a group of rock layers lining the edges of the ancient Neretva Vallis river channel — in July 2024. The terrain’s clay- and silt-rich sedimentary rocks are ideal for preserving ancient life, much like similar deposits on Earth.&nbsp;The rover’s scientific instruments, particularly PIXL and SHERLOC, detected a combination of organic carbon, sulfur, iron oxides, and phosphorus in the Cheyava Falls rock. These elements could have served as energy sources for microbial life — if it ever existed there. A particularly intriguing feature was the discovery of tiny “leopard spot” mineral patterns — zones rich in vivianite (an iron phosphate often found near decaying matter on Earth) and greigite (an iron sulfide linked to certain microbes). These minerals could have formed through reactions between organic matter and minerals in the rock, a process microbes are known to use for energy. However, scientists also note that these minerals can be produced without life, under certain geological conditions.&nbsp;Importantly, the Bright Angel rocks don’t appear to have undergone extreme heat or acidity — two non-biological conditions that could create these minerals — which makes the biological explanation more plausible, though not yet proven. “This find caught us off guard,” said Joel Hurowitz, lead author of the paper and a planetary scientist at Stony Brook University. “We assumed we’d find signs of life in older rocks. These are relatively young, which may mean Mars was habitable longer than we thought.”&nbsp;NASA stresses that although the results are exciting, they don’t confirm past life on Mars. Scientists must still rule out all non-biological explanations. “Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence,” said Katie Stack Morgan, deputy project scientist. “This peer-reviewed publication is a major step, but more work lies ahead.”&nbsp;Sapphire Canyon is one of 27 core samples Perseverance has collected since landing in Jezero Crater in 2021. These samples may eventually be returned to Earth for detailed study in a future mission. In addition to rock sampling, the rover also monitors weather and tests materials for future human exploration of Mars. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), managed by Caltech, oversees the Perseverance mission as part of the broader Mars Exploration Program.

'Most compelling evidence to date...': NASA's Perseverance may have found traces of life on the red planet

NASA’s Perseverance rover may have uncovered the strongest clue yet that microbial life once existed on Mars. A rock sample named “Sapphire Canyon,” collected from a dried riverbed in Jezero Crater, contains chemical signatures that scientists say could be of biological origin, according to new research published in Nature. The sample was extracted from a rock called “Cheyava Falls” in 2024, located in a geological area known as the Bright Angel formation — a site believed to have been shaped by flowing water long ago. The presence of certain minerals and organic molecules in this sample raises the possibility that it holds a “potential biosignature” — a feature or substance that may indicate past life, although further analysis is required to be certain. Also Read: 'No way, not going to happen': Acting NASA chief Duffy says China will not beat US to the Moon “This is the most compelling evidence to date for potential ancient life on Mars,” said NASA’s acting administrator Sean Duffy. “It’s a major step forward in our search for life beyond Earth.” Perseverance began studying the Bright Angel formation — a group of rock layers lining the edges of the ancient Neretva Vallis river channel — in July 2024. The terrain’s clay- and silt-rich sedimentary rocks are ideal for preserving ancient life, much like similar deposits on Earth. The rover’s scientific instruments, particularly PIXL and SHERLOC, detected a combination of organic carbon, sulfur, iron oxides, and phosphorus in the Cheyava Falls rock. These elements could have served as energy sources for microbial life — if it ever existed there. A particularly intriguing feature was the discovery of tiny “leopard spot” mineral patterns — zones rich in vivianite (an iron phosphate often found near decaying matter on Earth) and greigite (an iron sulfide linked to certain microbes). These minerals could have formed through reactions between organic matter and minerals in the rock, a process microbes are known to use for energy. However, scientists also note that these minerals can be produced without life, under certain geological conditions. Importantly, the Bright Angel rocks don’t appear to have undergone extreme heat or acidity — two non-biological conditions that could create these minerals — which makes the biological explanation more plausible, though not yet proven. “This find caught us off guard,” said Joel Hurowitz, lead author of the paper and a planetary scientist at Stony Brook University. “We assumed we’d find signs of life in older rocks. These are relatively young, which may mean Mars was habitable longer than we thought.” NASA stresses that although the results are exciting, they don’t confirm past life on Mars. Scientists must still rule out all non-biological explanations. “Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence,” said Katie Stack Morgan, deputy project scientist. “This peer-reviewed publication is a major step, but more work lies ahead.” Sapphire Canyon is one of 27 core samples Perseverance has collected since landing in Jezero Crater in 2021. These samples may eventually be returned to Earth for detailed study in a future mission. In addition to rock sampling, the rover also monitors weather and tests materials for future human exploration of Mars. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), managed by Caltech, oversees the Perseverance mission as part of the broader Mars Exploration Program.

NASA’s Perseverance rover found a Mars rock with chemical signs that may hint at past microbial life — the strongest clue yet from the Red Planet

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Aliens on Mars? NASA rover stumbles upon object that doesn't belong there

NASA's Perseverance may have found traces of life on the red planet