After “Alien Doorway,” NASA’s Curiosity rover encounters bizarre spikes on Mars
Structures like these, called hoodoos, are also found on Earth. Geologists believe that these tall, thin towers are formed by an erosive process.
The Curiosity rover, sent by the American space agency NASA to explore Gale Crater or Mars, found a strange rock formation on the Red Planet. The strange, twisted structures are seen rising from the surface of Mars in the high-resolution image sent by the rover to the base station.
The SETI Institute, a non-profit research organization focused on the search for life in the Universe, highlighted the image in a tweet last week, calling it “cool rock.” NASA also posted the raw image on its website.
“The spikes are likely the cemented fillings of A̳n̳c̳i̳e̳n̳t̳ fractures in a sedimentary rock. The rest of the rock was made of softer material and was eroded away,” the institute said in the tweet, offering an explanation for the shapes.
Structures like these are also found in some places on Earth. Geologists believe that these tall, thin towers are formed by an erosive process. Hoodoos are structures where hard rock is situated on top of soft rock.
Hoodoos are called by many names, such as fairy chimneys, earthen pyramids, and tent rocks. They are found in Utah\’s Bryce Canyon, Colorado Plateau or Japan\’s Tokushima Prefecture.
NASA is interested in such findings, which should reveal more information about the history of Gale Crater.
The picture of the “peaks” was taken by a camera aboard the Curiosity rover on May 15, according to Vice News, just a week ago it found an unusual structure in the rocks that looked like a beautifully carved door nestled on the Red Planet. Many netizens were intrigued by the photograph, claiming it was a hidden a̳l̳i̳e̳n̳ entrance.
The image was captured by the Curiosity rover on a geological feature known as the Greenheugh Pediment on May 7 and shared on Reddit by NASA.
The photo of the “peaks” was taken by the Curiosity rover on May 15th.
The Curiosity rover, sent by the American space agency NASA to explore Gale Crater or Mars, found a strange rock formation on the Red Planet. The strange, twisted structures are seen rising from the surface of Mars in the high-resolution image sent by the rover to the base station.
The SETI Institute, a non-profit research organization focused on the search for life in the Universe, highlighted the image in a tweet last week, calling it “cool rock.” NASA also posted the raw image on its website.
“The spikes are likely the cemented fillings of A̳n̳c̳i̳e̳n̳t̳ fractures in a sedimentary rock. The rest of the rock was made of softer material and was eroded away,” the institute said in the tweet, offering an explanation for the shapes.
Structures like these are also found in some places on Earth. Geologists believe that these tall, thin towers are formed by an erosive process. Hoodoos are structures where hard rock is situated on top of soft rock.
Hoodoos are called by many names, such as fairy chimneys, earthen pyramids, and tent rocks. They are found in Utah\’s Bryce Canyon, Colorado Plateau or Japan\’s Tokushima Prefecture.
NASA is interested in such findings, which should reveal more information about the history of Gale Crater.
The picture of the “peaks” was taken by a camera aboard the Curiosity rover on May 15, according to Vice News, just a week ago it found an unusual structure in the rocks that looked like a beautifully carved door nestled on the Red Planet. Many netizens were intrigued by the photograph, claiming it was a hidden a̳l̳i̳e̳n̳ entrance.
The image was captured by the Curiosity rover on a geological feature known as the Greenheugh Pediment on May 7 and shared on Reddit by NASA.
