At almost every stop along the Perseverance rover's route, flashes of purple have popped up in its images
, which are"essentially the scientific eyes of the rover," he says. By capturing images using a variety of filters that block certain wavelengths of light, scientists can get a rough idea of the rock composition., which can shoot a laser at a rock to vaporize a small bit of material and suss out its elemental composition. Each laser shot also carves a tiny pit in the surface and makes a snap-like sound.
The presence of hydrogen suggests that water played a role in the formation of the purple patches. Iron oxide also points to water, akin to the rust that forms on a bike left in the rain. Further study could unlock a trove of information about the red planet's wet past—including how long water remained in Jezero crater and, perhaps, the chemistry of the lake itself."The presence of coatings could be a key part of that story," Garczynski says.
So far the team has only analyzed a few samples, and they are still contending with many challenges. SuperCam's different chemistry readings and the changes in the laser's sounds don't always seem to line up, Ollila notes. Separating the chemical signatures of the coatings, the underlying rock, and the ever-present dust on the Martian surface is complex. And Mars's strong winds limit when scientists can hear the laser's snaps.
long after their death by preventing Mars's intense solar radiation from degrading delicate organic structures., which landed on the red planet in the mid-1970s. But it's taken many more wheels on the ground to identify the dark splotches as coatings rather than stains on the surface, Marnocha says.in Gale crater, where the Curiosity rover is currently scrutinizing the Martian surface.
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