NASA finds strange zebra-striped rock on Mars: ‘Sign of exciting discoveries to come’

Few things in space are purely black and white – but this strange rock certainly is.

NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover discovered a strange black-and-white rock unlike anything seen on Mars before, stunning scientists and the internet.

The agency says this could be “a sign of exciting discoveries to come.”

Team members spotted the rock in the distance “with hints of an unusual texture” in low-resolution images while traveling through “unusual pebbly terrain.” Upon closer inspection, they measured the striated stone to be approximately 20 centimeters (roughly 8 inches) wide and named it “Freya’s Castle”.

“When this data was reduced a few days later after Perseverance had already left the area, it became clear how unusual it was!” NASA exclaimed.

Early interpretations suggest that the melting, movement and cooling of magma and lava may have created the bands of rock, as igneous rocks form when hot, molten rock crystallizes and solidifies.

Mars was an active volcanic planet for millions of years, which could have created the environment in which this rock could form.

“This rock has a texture unlike any seen in the Jezero crater before, and possibly on all of Mars,” the agency said.

While the internet has its own theories about what this “zebra rock” could be, NASA’s science team believes that “since Castle Freya is a loose rock that is clearly different from the bedrock, it likely arrived here from somewhere else. perhaps rolling down from a source above.”

NASA’s statement continued: “We are excited by this opportunity, and we hope that as we continue our ascent, Persistence will encounter an outcrop of this new type of rock so that more detailed measurements can be taken.”

The rover first landed in Jezero Crater in February 2021 and is searching for rocks that could provide information and insight into the ancient history of Mars – and “Freya’s Castle” is just the latest discovery.

The team found an increased variety of rocks, including a diverse collection of rocks at Mount Washburn.

“Could these be our first glimpses at ancient rocks uplifted from deep by the Jezero impact, now exposed on the crater rim? Only time will tell,” said NASA.