Okay, that's just weird.
Experts are divided on the rock's origins. Some argue it's a meteorite that got its shape after blazing through the Martian atmosphere, while others say it's evidence of the"I can’t say with absolute, 100 percent certainty it’s not a meteorite, but I think it’s highly unlikely," Jim Rice, an assistant research scientist in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, told.
According to Rice, these kinds of rocks "were brought in by floods by this big river channel, the Neretva Vallis — that’s the channel that brought all the water and the rocks and sediment in there." In short, it may look odd to the unsuspecting eye, but "really, scientifically, it’s not anything special," Rice argued.But not everybody agrees with that assessment. Pascal Lee, a senior planetary scientist at the SETI Institute, toldthat the donut may have been a meteorite in which the weaker material in its interior eroded over time.
It wouldn't be the first potential meteorite Perseverance has spotted. Just a few weeks into its journey across the Red Planet, the roverAlternatively, it could've been "thrown away from another part of Mars by the impact of a large asteroid," Lee toldWhile the planetary scientist argued that Perseverance should take the time to have a closer look at the rock, the team operating the rover hasn't announced any plans to do so.
And that's a shame, because if they don't, there's a good chance we'll never find out more about the mysterious rock's origins.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Image captured by Mars rover shows a mysterious ‘doughnut’ on the planet’s surfaceLaunched in July 2020, the Mars Perseverance rover continues to explore the planet’s 28-mile-wide Jezero Crater for signs of ancient microbial life.
Read more »
How to Explain a Gap in Your ResumeSince the pandemic, most employers have been more understanding and less discriminating regarding resume gaps — but you have to be ready to explain the gaps clearly, confidently, and without stumbling. Owning your career trajectory means connecting all the dots for the recruiter and hiring manager. Shaping the narrative around any gaps yourself will help make them a non-issue. The author discusses five common reasons for work-history gaps — and how to own the gap during the interview process.
Read more »
Jacksonville PD explain arrest in JSU student deathMultiple agencies that worked on this investigation wanted to analyze the vast amount of evidence before making an arrest
Read more »
Democrats call Biden’s economy 'savage' in attempt to revive child tax creditAs the 2024 races heat up, some members of the president’s party will no doubt agree with him that it is the best of times. But others pushing to revive the 2021 child tax credit expansion and still more pandemic benefits are likely to convey a darker take. For them, the current “savage” economy…
Read more »
What the Coup Attempt Revealed About PutinA week later, cracks in the system are easier to spot.
Read more »