Perseverance Rover Discovers Avocado-Shaped Rocks on Mars
Image source: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
NASA’s Perseverance rover has made yet another intriguing discovery on the Red Planet – rocks that bear a striking resemblance to halved avocados. This find adds to the collection of images of peculiar rocks encountered during the rover’s journey across the Jezero Crater. The image was captured by the Mastcam-Z camera system on the rover’s “head” on its 907th Martian day (sol) of the mission.
Since its landing on Mars on February 18, 2021, Perseverance has been actively exploring the Martian surface in search of signs of ancient life. During its traverse of the Jezero Crater, the rover encounters various interesting formations of Martian rocks.
On September 8, the rover photographed a pair of rocks that share a resemblance to ripe avocados cut in half. One of the halves is seen inverted in the foreground of the image, while the other displays a distinctly “pit” at its center. The surface of the rock features a textured appearance reminiscent of the skin of an avocado.
As part of its mission to explore the 45-kilometer-wide Jezero Crater, believed to have hosted a large lake and river billions of years ago, Perseverance is collecting rock samples for future return to Earth. Assisting in this mission is the Martian helicopter, Ingenuity, which serves as a reconnaissance scout.
Previous discoveries of unconventional rock shapes, such as a shark fin, crab claw, and doughnut, are examples of pareidolia, a phenomenon where the human brain perceives familiar shapes in random visual data.
This latest find showcases the richness and diversity of Martian geology and fuels growing interest in the Martian mission, inspiring even more people to follow its achievements.
Author Profile
- I'm Martin Harris, a tech writer with extensive experience, contributing to global publications. Trained in Computer Science, I merged my technical know-how with writing, becoming a technology journalist. I've covered diverse topics like AI and consumer electronics, contributing to top tech platforms. I participate in tech events for knowledge updating. Besides writing, I enjoy reading, photography, and aim to clarify technology's complexities to readers.
Latest entries
Unusual04/11/2023Japanese Scientists Develop Durable, Self-Healing, Biodegradable Plastic
Blockchain03/11/2023Telegram’s TON Becomes World’s Fastest Blockchain, Outpaces Visa and MasterCard
Internet27/10/2023Google Search Now Provides Source Data for Images
Business26/10/2023Honor Leads Chinese Smartphone Market as vivo Falters, Apple Reclaims Top Three
