Human skull on Mars? What did NASA just discover on the red planet
Mars
's remote slope of Jezero Crater,
NASA
's Perseverance rover sent back an image of a rock that resembled a human skull. About the size of a basketball, the rock-like structure is completely different from its dusty surroundings.
#Pahalgam Terrorist Attack
Nuclear Power! How India and Pakistan's arsenals stack up
Does America have a plan to capture Pakistan's nuclear weapons?
Airspace blockade: India plots a flight path to skip Pakistan
For some people, it may seem like a cosmic coincidence, but for others, it is another reminder of the Red Planet's mystery and the possibility of life outside Earth.
The Perseverance rover is a car-sized robotic spacecraft dispatched by NASA to explore the Jezero Crater on Mars as a key part of the Mars 2020 mission.
5
5
Next
Stay
Playback speed
1x Normal
Back
0.25x
0.5x
1x Normal
1.5x
2x
5
5
/
Skip
Ads by
According to Margaret Deahn, a Ph.D. student at Purdue University and a member of the NASA team, Skull Hill is most likely what's known as a 'float rock.' This means it didn't originate where it currently sits but was transported there by natural forces, likely from an impact crater or volcanic activity.
'It could have come from a volcanic outcrop or a distant impact, carried over by ancient Martian winds or water flows,' Deahn explained. Scientists also estimate that as much as 30% of the surface rocks in Jezero Crater may have been displaced over millions of years.
Live Events
Some even suggest that it could be a meteorite, as Mars' thin atmosphere a lot of times fails to burn up the incoming space debris, and NASA's Curiosity rover had found several iron-nickel meteorites in Gale Crater.
But in this case, after a closer inspection, Perseverance's SuperCam, which is a laser-powered chemical analyzer, revealed that Skull Hill's composition didn't match that of a typical meteorite.
It also suggested that the object is an igneous rock formed from volcanic magma, and the presence of minerals like olivine and pyroxene, which are considered common in volcanic rocks, supports this theory.
The pitted and angular surface of the Skull, along with its dark tone, makes it even more interesting. The pits are likely the result of wind erosion or the loss of small rock fragments. Rocks like Skull Hill are time capsules, offering critical clues about the planet's geological history and helping in understanding Mars' past.
'Every rock we encounter on Mars is like a page in the planet's unfinished autobiography,' said Dr. Melissa Rice, a planetary geologist at Western Washington University. 'And Skull Hill? It's one of those chapters that makes you stop and think.'
The question of whether Mars was ever home to life remains one of the most curious mysteries, and the search continues, with the hope that one day, the Red Planet will reveal its secrets.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
42 minutes ago
- News18
Massive Object Racing Towards Earth Could Be Alien Spaceship, Warns Harvard Scientist
The discovery of fast-moving object 3I/Atlas has sparked debate, with Harvard's Avi Loeb suggesting it might be an alien spacecraft The age-old question of whether humanity is alone in the universe has once again returned to the spotlight after the discovery of a mysterious, fast-moving object heading toward Earth. The celestial visitor, designated 3I/Atlas, has sparked a heated scientific debate, with one prominent Harvard professor suggesting it might be an alien spacecraft capable of saving or destroying our planet. The object was first detected on July 1, 2025, and is currently hurtling through the inner solar system at an estimated 1,35,000 miles per hour, according to NASA. The agency says it will make its closest approach to the Sun on October 30, at a distance of roughly 130 million miles from Earth. While NASA insists there is no immediate threat, uncertainty over its nature has captured public attention. Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb, known for his unconventional theories about extra-terrestrial life, believes 3I/Atlas could be more than just a comet or asteroid. Drawing parallels with Arthur C Clarke's sci-fi classic 'Rendezvous with Rama', in which a seemingly natural object is revealed to be an alien craft, Loeb said that the object might show signs of 'technical design". He warned that it might carry anything from a reconnaissance probe to a weapon. 'It can come to save us or destroy us," Loeb told reporters, adding that humanity must be prepared for both scenarios. 'We should ensure all alien objects are just rocks," he said. Loeb's calculations suggest the object could reach Earth between November 21 and December 5, 2025. NASA estimates the body is between 20 and 24 kilometres in size, nearly 200 times larger than 'Oumuamua', the cigar-shaped interstellar object detected in 2017 that also stirred alien speculation. Due to its distance, scientists cannot yet determine its exact dimensions or composition. While Loeb's statements have made headlines, not all experts are convinced. Oxford University astronomer Chris Lintott dismissed the alien theory outright, calling it 'complete nonsense" and warning that such claims undermine the serious scientific work being conducted on the object. NASA and the European Space Agency currently classify 3I/Atlas as an outer solar system comet. Loeb concedes this is the most likely explanation, yet insists a 'slight possibility" remains that it is an artificial craft. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
James Webb Space Telescope rules out Earth-like atmosphere on rocky planet
The James Webb Space Telescope has found no signs of an Earth-like atmosphere on planet TRAPPIST-1 d, according to a study published Tuesday in The Astrophysical Journal. Using Webb's Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), researchers did not detect common terrestrial gases such as water vapor, methane or carbon dioxide, NASA said. 'At this point we can rule out TRAPPIST-1 d from a list of potential Earth twins or cousins,' lead author Caroline Piaulet-Ghorayeb said. TRAPPIST-1 d is a rocky planet in a seven-world system 40 light-years away. Orbiting a cool red dwarf at just 2 per cent of Earth's distance from the Sun, it sits at the inner edge of the star's temperate, or 'Goldilocks,' zone and completes an orbit every four Earth days, NASA noted. NIRSpec observations showed no spectral fingerprints of key atmospheric molecules. Piaulet-Ghorayeb outlined scenarios that remain possible: an extremely thin atmosphere like Mars; a cloud-shrouded world akin to Venus that hides gases from detection; or a bare, airless rock. 'There are a few potential reasons why we don't detect an atmosphere around TRAPPIST-1 d,' she said. Frequent high-energy flares from the system's red dwarf star can strip atmospheres from close-in planets, making retention particularly difficult. Even so, scientists continue to probe the TRAPPIST-1 worlds because red dwarfs are the most common stars in the Milky Way, NASA said. 'We're really just getting started… and to define the line between planets that can hold onto an atmosphere, and those that cannot,' added co-author Björn Benneke. Webb observations of planets e, f, g and h are underway. Their greater distance from the star could improve the odds of intact atmospheres, though colder conditions make detections tougher, according to NASA. 'All hope is not lost for atmospheres around the TRAPPIST-1 planets,' Piaulet-Ghorayeb said. 'As NASA leads the way in searching for life outside our solar system, one of the most important avenues we can pursue is understanding which planets retain their atmospheres, and why,' said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director of NASA's Astrophysics Division. Results from Webb lay groundwork for future missions like the Habitable Worlds Observatory. (With inputs from NASA's official website)
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
NASA's Perseverance Rover Captures Mysterious Rock On Mars That Looks Like "Helmet"
NASA's Mars Perseverance rover captured an image of a volcano-shaped rock resembling a weathered battle helmet on August 5, 2025. The rover is currently looking for ancient life on Mars, and also collecting samples of rock for possible Earth return. During the process, the rover often stumbles upon curious rocks. According to a report by the helmet-like rock would help scientists to understand the environmental history of Mars. NASA said that the rover acquired this image using its Left Mastcam-Z camera, which is a pair of cameras located high on the rover's mast. Scientists believe the rock's unique shape and texture could be the result of chemical weathering, mineral precipitation, or volcanic processes. The rock is composed of spherules, which are tiny, perfectly shaped spheres that have sparked debate among scientists about their origin. "This hat-shaped rock is composed of spherules. This rock's target name is Horneflya and it's distinctive less because of its hat shape (which looks to me to be generally consistent with the pyramid shape we often see in of wind-eroded float blocks on the surface of Mars) and more because it's made almost entirely of spherules," David Agle, a spokesperson for the Perseverance team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told the media outlet. The spherules could have formed through minerals deposited by groundwater in sediment spaces, or molten rock droplets cooling rapidly after volcanic eruptions. Violent collisions vaporising rock, which then condenses into tiny droplets, can also form such spherules.
