Mars continues to surprise scientists with strange and silent stories. NASA’s Curiosity rover has reached a site filled with rock formations that resemble fossilised eggs or even ancient nests, sparking intrigue and fresh research.
What did the rover find at The Boxworks?
The rover is studying an area known as The Boxworks, on the slopes of Mount Sharp within Gediz Vallis Ridge. The site holds fractured, vein-filled rocks unlike anything Curiosity has seen before. These rocks could contain records of water flow hundreds of millions of years ago in Mars' history.
Researchers think the rocks record some of the planet's most extreme environmental changes. Examining their layers, veins, and weathering, the researchers want to know how Mars evolved from a more watery planet to its present dryness. Some are bulbous or clustered in shape, indicating minerals accumulated over the years.
How are scientists examining these formations?
In Sols 4627–4628, Curiosity employed Mastcam for panoramas and ChemCam to investigate chemicals. The boxy textures seen here resemble formations on Earth linked to hydrothermal activity. Such structures could reveal details about temperature, pH, and fluid history.
Climbing the ridge has been difficult because of its uneven rocks and steep slope. Drilling is impossible in this area, but Curiosity’s team is using imaging tools and contact instruments like MAHLI and APXS to study the rocks at the surface.
What comes next for Curiosity’s mission?
The rover will remain on this ridge for several sols, mapping and analysing veins and fractures. Next, it will move towards Kukenán, a site that may reveal more layered outcrops. Each step upward adds to scientists’ picture of how ancient Mars evolved.
The discoveries fuel new questions about the possibility of past life. Could the fluids that shaped these rocks once have supported microbes? For now, the answers remain locked in stone, waiting for Curiosity to uncover them.
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