NASA’s Mars rover has pictured a mysterious, skull-shaped rock on the Red Planet whose origin remains uncertain. The mysterious rock, which NASA is calling the “Skull Hill”, was discovered on April 11 by the Perseverance rover on the Jezero crater rim, using the Mastcam-Z instrument
Though most of the region surrounding the rock is light-colored and dusty, Skull Hill is dark, angular, and covered in tiny pits. “This float rock uniquely contrasts the surrounding light-toned outcrop with its dark tone and angular surface, and it features a few pits in the rock,” NASA said.
While the origin of the rock remains uncertain, NASA is of the view that pits on the Skull Hill may have been formed due to erosion, or it may have been dropped here by an “impact crater”.
“The pits on Skull Hill may have formed via the erosion of clasts from the rock or scouring by wind,” NASA said.
“Alternatively, ‘Skull Hill’ could be an igneous rock eroded from a nearby outcrop or ejected from an impact crater,” it added.
The team believes that Skull Hill’s colour is reminiscent of meteorites previously found in Gale crater by the Curiosity rover.
“The team is working to better understand where these rocks came from and how they got here,” the statement added.
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Life on Mars?
Scientists have long been seeking answers about the presence of life on Mars. In January, pictures taken by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) showed the Martian surface covered by frozen sand dunes in the northern hemisphere. Unlike the dunes on Earth, which are constantly in motion, the kidney bean-shaped dunes on Mars appeared surprisingly motionless.
In October last year, a NASA study stated that microbes might find a potential home beneath the frozen water on the Red Planet’s surface. The scientists discovered that the amount of sunlight that penetrates the water ice could be enough for photosynthesis to occur in the shallow pools of meltwater beneath the surface of that ice.
While Mars is now cold, barren and rocky, evidence suggests that the magnetic field may have lasted until 3.9 billion years ago, compared with previous estimates of 4.1 billion years — making the Red Planet a prime candidate for a thriving environment for life.