Astronomy Picture of the Day

Volcanic Bumpy Boulder on Mars


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zorg.ch
#86968 by @ 16.05.2006 00:00 - nach oben -
Volcanic Bumpy Boulder on Mars


Explanation:
What created this unusually textured rock on Mars?

Most probably: a volcano.

Dubbed Bumpy Boulder, the strange stone measuring just under a
half-meter high was found by the
robotic Spirit rover
currently rolling across Mars.

Pits on the
ragged rock are likely
>vesicles and arise from hot gas bubbling out of
hot rock ejected by an active Martian volcano.

Several similar rocks are visible near Bumpy Boulder that
likely have a similar past.

The >above true-color image was taken about one month ago.

The >Spirit rover, now in its third year of operation on Mars,
is weathering the low sunlight winter of Mar's northern hemisphere on a
hillside slope in order to maximize the amount of absorbable
>battery-refreshing sunlight.






Credit & Copyright
zorg.ch
#86975 by @ 16.05.2006 07:56 - nach oben -
yeah, roll over Spirit rover!