It resembles a relic of an old battlefield, but it rests peacefully on Mars. NASA's Perseverance rover has captured an image of a strange, helmet-like rock that has raised interest among scientists and space fans alike.
What did the rover find?
The photo, taken on 5 August 2025, is of a rock with a pointed tip and rough surface that looks like worn-out armour. The rover's Mastcam-Z camera saw it in Jezero Crater, where Perseverance keeps roving. On our planet, the same kind of textures can develop through chemical weathering, mineral precipitation or even volcanic eruptions.
Why are the spherules important?
NASA scientists revealed that the rock, named Horneflya, is made almost entirely of spherules. These rounded features may have formed when groundwater moved through sedimentary rocks. Yet researchers are not certain all Martian spherules formed this way. Analysing these unusual structures could help explain parts of Mars’s hidden geological history.
How is it being studied?
Mastcam-Z, a zoom-capable camera system, helps scientists capture detailed stereo images and track unusual rock shapes. Perseverance has already documented meteorite-like “doughnuts” and stones shaped like avocados. Such images also reveal pareidolia, the human tendency to see familiar patterns in random forms.
The helmet-shaped rock may simply be wind-eroded debris, but for researchers, it offers clues about how water, wind and time have sculpted Mars. Each discovery takes them a little closer to understanding the Red Planet’s past.
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