- A rock discovered on Mars by scientists could hold the key to uncovering how the universe formed billions of years ago
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Perseverance rover made the discovery while on a mission to Mars
- NASA's Perseverance rover discovered the rock on Mars' Blue Hill and it has been officially named Silver Mountain
A rock discovered on Mars could hold the key to interpreting the origins of the entire universe.
The rock was discovered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Perseverance rover.
According to scientists, the rock could help them unlock how the universe formed more than 4.1 billion years ago.
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The rock which was found around the Blue Hill region of Mars was officially named as Silver Mountain.
The historic breakthrough could offer rare insights into the origins of our solar system and even the universe itself.
The rock sample collected by the NASA Perseverance rover from the Blue Hill region on Mars, is believed to date back to the Noachian era, a period of over 4.1 to 3.7 billion years ago.
A post on the X handle of the NASA Perseverance rover labelled the rock as the 26th sample to be collected from the red planet.
The post reads:
"Now that I've completed my climb out of Jezero Crater, I'm back to #SamplingMars! My 26th sample, known as "Silver Mountain," has textures unlike anything we've seen before. I've sealed the rock core in a sample tube so it can be analyzed in labs on Earth in the future."
Speaking on the development, Ken Farley of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Pasadena said the Silver Mountain was one of the oldest rocks found anywhere in the solar system.
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He said:
“This is one of the oldest rocks found anywhere in the solar system. These rocks represent pieces of early Martian crust that were likely thrust to the surface by ancient impacts billions of years ago.”
An analysis of the rock could help scientists understand what Mars and other planets like Earth looked like in their infancy.
See Perseverance rover's post below:
Reactions to discovery of rock on Mars
@MarthaJohn1679 said:
"When Elon Musk gets to Mars he'll be the one who retrieves these samples. The discoveries will be amazing! Go NASA!"
@WhatsNe75388303 said:
"We already have samples from Mars, and it didn't cost billions! So far scientists have identified nearly 300 meteors as having originated from Mars. Because large impacts with meteors eject material into space, the Earth and Mars have exchanged countless tons over time."
@ThisIsEthanWu said:
"While NASA and SpaceX collaborate to bring back two astronauts, don't forget to cooperate quickly to retrieve the Mars samples."
Scientists give more information about Mars
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Chinese and American scientists who are studying to know if Mars once had water bodies have made a new discovery.
People like Elon Musk have always dreamed of sending humans to Mars and making it habitable like the Earth.
The Chinese robot known as Zhurong rover landed on Mars in 2021, and it has sent back information after penetrating the ground.
