Explanation:
What is this strange rock on Mars?
Sitting on a smooth plane,
the rock stands out for its isolation, odd shape, large size and unusual texture.
The rock was discovered by the
robotic Opportunity rover rolling across
Mars late last month.
Pictured above, Opportunity prepares to inspect the unusual rock.
After being X-rayed, poked, and chemically
analyzed, the rock has now been identified by
Opportunity as a fallen meteorite.
Now dubbed Block Island, the meteorite has been measured
to be about 2/3 of a meter across and is now known to be composed mostly of
nickel and iron.
This is the
second meteorite
found by a martian rover, and so far the largest.
Vast
smooth spaces on Mars and
Earth can make large meteorites stand out.
Opportunity continues its trip across
Meridiani Planum on Mars and is on schedule to reach expansive
Endeavor Crater
next year.
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