Scientists have been puzzled by the discovery of a «strange rock» on the surface of Mars, sparking a wave of questions and speculation. The discovery has reignited the debate over whether it is evidence of alien life on the Red Planet, or perhaps in some other place that humans cannot know or reach.
Notable feature of this strange rock is its high mineral content, which led scientists to conclude that it is alien to Mars and has no connection to its nature, but came from a different, unknown place.
According to a report in the British newspaper «Daily Mail», the mysterious and controversial rock was found by the «Perseverance» rover near the edge of the Jezero Crater, which is 45 kilometers wide. Experts believe it may have once been a home to life.
The rock is 80 centimeters (31 inches) wide and initially stood out due to its «sculpted» appearance. According to NASA scientists who discovered it, they confirmed that «it is most likely of another origin in the solar system».
The «Perseverance» rover used the «SuperCam» instrument to analyze the rock's composition by heating a small part of its surface with a powerful laser.
This analysis revealed that the rock, named «Fipsascla,» contains a very high percentage of iron and nickel. This is unusual, as the «Perseverance» rover had not found a single rock with such a high mineral content anywhere else inside Jezero Crater.
Dr. Candice Bedford, a geologist from Purdue University and the rover's operator, wrote: «This mix of elements is usually associated with iron-nickel meteorites that formed in the cores of large asteroids, which suggests that this rock formed elsewhere in the solar system».
