Perseverance Rover May Have Found Mars Meteorite

NASA’s Perseverance rover has found an unusual rock on Mars that is rich in iron
and nickel. Scientists think it might be a meteorite, a piece that came from
elsewhere in the solar system.

During its latest survey in the Vernodden region, the rover spotted a unique
rock called “Phippsaksla”. The rock is about 80 centimeters wide and has a tall,
carved shape that stands out from the flat, broken ground around it.

Using its SuperCam instrument, Perseverance studied the rock and found it has a
lot of iron and nickel, which are typical of iron-nickel meteorites that form in
the cores of large asteroids. This suggests the rock may have come from outside
Mars.

NASA scientists said more tests are needed to confirm if it is really a meteorite.
If it is, it will join the other meteorites studied by past Mars rovers.