NASA spots mysterious alien rock on Mars that doesn’t belong there

NASA’s Perseverance rover spotted the unfamiliar rock at Vernodden near Jezero Crater during a routine study of the ancient bedrock. The rover captured its image with the Left Mastcam Z camera on 19 September 2025, and NASA later described the discovery in a blog titled A Stranger in Our Midst. The team named the 80 cm boulder Phippsaksla after noticing its uncommon shape and size, which seemed distinct from the low-lying and fragmented rocks scattered across the site.

What makes the Phippsaksla rock appear so unusual?
Scientists asked why this rock looked different from nearby terrain and why its form contrasted sharply with typical native Martian crust. Early analysis with the SuperCam laser raised further interest because it showed high iron and nickel content within the boulder. NASA said this element combination usually links with iron nickel meteorites formed inside large asteroid cores. Could this mean the rock originated elsewhere within the solar system? The boulder measures roughly 31 inches and resembles a small desk in scale, which makes its lonely presence on Vernodden’s surface even more striking.

(Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU)

Could Phippsaksla actually be a long-lost meteorite?
Researchers questioned whether this metallic signature pointed to a meteorite that landed in the distant past. NASA said more investigation is required because the team must confirm the exact history. Why has Perseverance found this potential meteorite outside Jezero Crater rather than inside? The rock sits atop bedrock believed to have formed from past impact processes, which suggests it may have remained preserved through long planetary activity.