April 30, 2025 | 09:09 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - NASA has discovered a mysterious rock on Mars named Skull Hill. The research team captured an image of the rock using the Mastcam-Z instrument during the Mars 2020 mission on April 11, 2025.
The rock is dark gray and has several holes, in contrast to the surrounding environment, which is cream-colored. Skull Hill was found on the edge of the Jezero crater, Mars.
"In addition to this contact, the rover has encountered a variety of neat rocks that may have originated from elsewhere and transported to their current location," NASA wrote on its official website, as quoted on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
According to NASA's analysis, the holes in Skull Hill probably formed when clasts eroded from the rock or were abraded by wind. Some of these rocks have also been found in the Port Anson region, and the Team is still working to understand how these rocks came to exist.
NASA stated that Skull Hill's dark color resembles a meteorite found in the Gale crater by the Curiosity rover. However, the rock's color is darker and has an abstract shape.
To identify the meteorite, it is necessary to examine the chemical composition. It is known that the Gale crater contains a large amount of iron and nickel. "However, recent analysis of SuperCam data from nearby similar rocks suggests a composition inconsistent with a meteorite origin," NASA wrote.
The research team estimates that Skull Hill is a weathered igneous rock from nearby outcrops or was thrown from a crater impact. On Earth and Mars, iron and magnesium are some of the main contributors to igneous rocks, which are formed from the cooling of magma or lava.
This rock contains dark-colored minerals such as olivine, pyroxene, amphibole, and biotite. "Understanding the composition of these darker-toned floats will help the team to interpret the origin of this unique rock," NASA wrote.
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