Latest news with #Deahn
Economic Times
02-05-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
Human skull on Mars? What did NASA just discover on the red planet
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Popular in International A curious discovery has captured the attention of both scientists and space enthusiasts. On 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Human skull on Mars? What did NASA just discover on the red planet
A curious discovery has captured the attention of both scientists and space enthusiasts. On 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.
Business Mayor
25-04-2025
- Science
- Business Mayor
NASA scientists left baffled by eerie 'Skull Hill' on Mars
NASA scientists have been left baffled after the Perseverance rover captured a bizarre image on Mars that looks eerily like a skull perched on a hilltop. Dubbed 'Skull Hill' by the team, the dark, angular rock formation has reignited interest in the Red Planet's most puzzling surface features and sparked a wave of speculation online. The photo, released in a NASA blog post last week, was snapped by the rover's Mastcam-Z camera as it rolled down a rocky slope known as Witch Hazel Hill, located on the rim of the Jezero Crater. While the image clearly shows a solitary dark rock sitting amid the planet's dusty red terrain, its weathered, craggy surface and hollowed-out features have drawn comparisons to a skull, though NASA has stressed it's not an alien artefact. Margaret Deahn, a PhD student working with NASA, explained: 'We've found a few of these dark-toned floats in the Port Anson region, and the team is working to better understand where these rocks came from and how they got here.' Initial speculation suggested that the object might be a meteorite, due to its dark colouration, similar to other space rocks previously discovered on Mars. However, early compositional analysis of nearby rocks has thrown that theory into doubt. Instead, scientists now suspect the rock may be igneous, meaning it formed through volcanic activity. 'These rocks can include dark-colored minerals such as olivine, pyroxene, amphibole, and biotite,' NASA noted. Given Mars' history of volcanic activity, it's possible the rock was once part of a lava flow or formed deep within the crust before being relocated by an impact or erosion. Read More Uncovering the secrets behind the silent flight of owls Although its official designation is geological, the rock's peculiar appearance has inspired plenty of creative interpretations online, with conspiracy theorists, amateur astronomers, and sci-fi fans all chiming in. Social media users have likened it to everything from a petrified skull to alien relics. NASA, for its part, is sticking to the science. For now, the object's true nature remains a mystery, its composition, origin, and journey to its current location are still being investigated. As Deahn put it, for now, the strange formation is simply filed under 'origin uncertain.' READ SOURCE
Forbes
22-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Mysterious Mars Rock Leaves Scientists Searching For Origin Clues
One of these things is not like the others. Time to sing that famous 'Sesame Street' song to yourself as you gaze on a recent NASA Perseverance rover image sent back from Mars. The photo shows a rocky beige and brown patch of ground with a dark mostly smooth rock sitting in the middle of the frame. It's the latest rock to present a science puzzle for Mars researchers to solve. Perseverance is currently exploring the rim of the Jezero Crater in an area called Witch Hazel Hill. The rover took some time in April to study a spot where lighter and darker rock outcrops meet. That site is named Port Anson. That's where the unusual rock came into focus. You might notice a theme to the names, which are real locations in Canada on Earth. The theme continues with the name given to the dark rock: Skull Hill. Skull Hill is a 'float' rock—a rock that came from somewhere else. That's why it doesn't fit in with its surroundings. While most of Skull Hill looks smooth, it has some notable pits. 'The pits on Skull Hill may have formed via the erosion of clasts from the rock or scouring by wind,' wrote Purdue University doctoral student Margaret Deahn in a rover mission update on April 17. Clasts are rock fragments or chunks. Clasts may have been embedded in the dark rock and then wore away, leaving pits behind. 'We've found a few of these dark-toned floats in the Port Anson region, and the team is working to better understand where these rocks came from and how they got here,' Deahn said. NASA rovers have been exploring the red planet since the late 1990s when the Mars Pathfinder mission carried the Sojourner rover to the surface. The robotic explorers keep spotting new and noteworthy rocks. The Curiosity rover delivered a surprise in mid-2024 with the first-ever discovery of pure sulfur crystals on Mars. Not to be outdone by its rover sibling, Perseverance found a 'zebra rock' unlike any other. The striped rock is also likely a float rock like Skull Hill. When a rover finds an obviously out-of-place rock, it kicks off an effort to spot similar ones in other locations. Scientists are interested in the origin of these oddball rocks. Fans of Mars rocks like to play spot-the-meteorite. Meteorites typically stand out from their surroundings. They're usually dark with surfaces that show both smooth and pitted features. Skull Hill might have a meteorite-like appearance, but it likely didn't come from space. A Perseverance analysis of similar rocks nearby 'suggests a composition inconsistent with a meteorite origin.' If Skull Hill isn't a meteorite, that still leaves some big questions: What is it and where did it come from? The rover's investigations suggest it 'could be an igneous rock eroded from a nearby outcrop or ejected from an impact crater.' Igneous rocks often have volcanic origins. Mars has a fascinating history of volcanic activity. The tallest known mountain in the solar system is the dormant Olympus Mons volcano on Mars. Perseverance's science skills will be put to the test as it continues to explore the crater rim. It's a relatively new region for the rover, so there are plenty of geological puzzle pieces left for scientists to discover and put into place.
