Latest news with #Horneflya
New York Post
2 days ago
- Science
- New York Post
NASA rover spots rock shaped like medieval helmet on Mars
NASA's Perseverance rover stationed on Mars spotted a dome-shaped rock with a striking resemblance to a helmet used during medieval times. The martian rock, captured by Perseverance's primary camera on Aug. 5, is pointed at the top and dome-shaped on top of a flared brim. It has a rough, textured surface covered in small bumps. 3 NASA's Perseverance rover spotted a rock shaped like a medieval helmet on Mars. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU / SWNS Advertisement The image was selected as Perseverance's best photo during its 234th week on Mars, though scientists working on its team noted it's not the first time the rover has encountered that type of igneous rock. '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 3 Perseverance launched in July 2020. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASUS / SWNS Advertisement The rock's odd composition will help scientists further understand how Mars' environmental history, including its 'internal processes,' formed the unique landscape over billions of years, the outlet reported. Perseverance's primary mission, though, isn't to collect baubles. The rover was launched on July 30, 2020 to search for ancient microbial life on the Red Planet to aid scientists in studying its habitability. Its research will help scientists get closer to sending a person to Mars as NASA inches ever closer to its final goal in the Artemis program, which seeks to establish a permanent base on the Moon to oversee the first astronaut landing on the Red Planet. Advertisement SpaceX CEO and former Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk is also eyeing interests on Mars with loose plans to launch uncrewed trips as early as 2028. 3 There are currently five NASA rovers on Mars. ESA/MPS et al. / SWNS In the meantime, Perseverance has been working overtime. It was first sent to survey the Jezero Crater to probe Mars' 'wet history' — a trek it only just completed in December 2024 three years after landing. Advertisement 'Conceivably, microbial life could have lived in Jezero during one or more of these wet times. If so, signs of their remains might be found in lakebed or shoreline sediments,' NASA says on the home page for the mission. NASA currently has four other rovers on Mars. Sojourner, the oldest and most antiquated of the five, landed on Mars in July 1997, according to NASA. The second-eldest rover, Opportunity, was originally built to last just three months on Mars. Instead, it pressed on for a staggering 15 years before shutting down in 2019.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA's Perseverance rover captures image on Mars that resembles a helmet
NASA's Perseverance rover has added to its trove of curious finds, as the space agency published a photo of a rock on the surface of Mars that looks like a centuries-old helmet. The rock has a pointed peak, a flared "brim," and textures that could lead reasonable observers to compare it to a witch's hat or a tent. The texture is formed by spherules on the rock. Similar formations found on Earth are created through chemical weathering, mineral precipitation or volcanic processes, according to The image, taken Aug. 5 by the rover's Left Mastcam-Z camera, was chosen as the photo of the week for week 234 of its mission on Mars. "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 space news outlet. It is not the first time the rover has found a spherule-covered rock, having sent back a photo of a studded rock in March. Camera key to Mars discoveries The Left Mastcam-Z camera on the Perseverance can capture panoramic color and 3D images of the planet's surface, according to NASA, allowing scientists and observers to see Martian features more clearly. The rover is searching for signs of ancient microbial life as a part of a larger undertaking to understand the habitability of Mars. The helmet rock provides scientist a clue on what Mar's environmental history, according to Perseverance was sent to survey Jezero Crater to study the "wet history" of the Red Planet. The rover completed the climb to the summit of the crater in December 2024, three years after landing. "Conceivably, microbial life could have lived in Jezero during one or more of these wet times," NASA says on the home page for the mission. "If so, signs of their remains might be found in lakebed or shoreline sediments." Perseverance's research is intended to pave the way for humans to reach Mars in the years ahead under NASA's Artemis program, which will begin with astronauts returning to the moon to establish a base of operations. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has also expressed his vision of launching uncrewed trips to the Red Planet before humans reach it ‒ perhaps as early as 2028. Contributing: Eric Lagatta – USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASA's Perseverance rover makes another strange finding: See photo
USA Today
3 days ago
- Science
- USA Today
NASA's Perseverance rover captures image on Mars that resembles a helmet
NASA's Perseverance rover has added to its trove of curious finds, as the space agency published a photo of a rock on the surface of Mars that looks like a centuries-old helmet. The rock has a pointed peak, a flared "brim," and textures that could lead reasonable observers to compare it to a witch's hat or a tent. The texture is formed by spherules on the rock. Similar formations found on Earth are created through chemical weathering, mineral precipitation or volcanic processes, according to The image, taken Aug. 5 by the rover's Left Mastcam-Z camera, was chosen as the photo of the week for week 234 of its mission on Mars. "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 space news outlet. It is not the first time the rover has found a spherule-covered rock, having sent back a photo of a studded rock in March. Camera key to Mars discoveries The Left Mastcam-Z camera on the Perseverance can capture panoramic color and 3D images of the planet's surface, according to NASA, allowing scientists and observers to see Martian features more clearly. The rover is searching for signs of ancient microbial life as a part of a larger undertaking to understand the habitability of Mars. The helmet rock provides scientist a clue on what Mar's environmental history, according to Perseverance was sent to survey Jezero Crater to study the "wet history" of the Red Planet. The rover completed the climb to the summit of the crater in December 2024, three years after landing. "Conceivably, microbial life could have lived in Jezero during one or more of these wet times," NASA says on the home page for the mission. "If so, signs of their remains might be found in lakebed or shoreline sediments." Perseverance's research is intended to pave the way for humans to reach Mars in the years ahead under NASA's Artemis program, which will begin with astronauts returning to the moon to establish a base of operations. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has also expressed his vision of launching uncrewed trips to the Red Planet before humans reach it ‒ perhaps as early as 2028. Contributing: Eric Lagatta – USA TODAY
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA's Perseverance rover spies mysterious 'helmet' on Mars (photo)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. NASA's Perseverance rover has stumbled across a curious, volcano-shaped rock on the surface of Mars that looks rather like a weathered battle helmet. Captured by the rover's Mastcam-Z instrument on Aug. 5, 2025, the rock displays a pointed peak and pitted nodular texture that evokes an image of armor forged centuries ago. On Earth, similar nodule textures can form through chemical weathering, mineral precipitation or even volcanic processes. Perseverance found a similar rock in March 2025. And it's these spherules that have scientists intrigued. "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 Scientists think that in some rocks seen on Mars, these spherules form when groundwater passed through pores in sedimentary rocks. But they're not sure if all of them formed this way; Perseverance's science team will have its work cut out for it analyzing more rocks to search for answers to this Martian geology mystery and other burning Red Planet questions. The Mastcam-Z instrument, a pair of zoom-capable cameras on Perseverance's neck-like mast, allows scientists to capture high-resolution stereo images and spot unusual features like this spherule-covered "helmet" rock from a distance. Perseverance has uncovered a growing gallery of odd rock shapes, from donut-like meteorites to avocado-like stones. These types of images are examples of a phenomenon known as pareidolia, which describes the human brain's tendency to impose a familiar pattern on otherwise random visual data — whether that's a face in the clouds, a rabbit in the moon, or a medieval helmet on the Martian surface. For now, the helmet rock remains a compelling snapshot of Martian history. Features like this help scientists piece together the Red Planet's environmental history, showing how wind, water and internal processes may have sculpted the landscape over billions of years. Perseverance is currently exploring the northern rim of the Jezero Crater, having successfully completed a challenging ascent to the crest known as "Lookout Hill" late last year. Solve the daily Crossword
