Скачать или смотреть Phippsaksla – The Rock on Mars That Doesn’t Belong There

NASA’s Perseverance rover recently stumbled upon one of the most intriguing discoveries of its mission — a large, sculpted boulder named Phippsaksla. Resting on the rugged landscape just beyond Jezero Crater, this rock immediately caught scientists’ attention because it looks nothing like the surrounding terrain.

Measuring nearly 80 centimeters wide, Phippsaksla stands out not just in size, but also in composition. Using the rover’s SuperCam instrument, researchers found that this rock is packed with iron and nickel, elements that are typically seen in metallic meteorites. These metals, especially in such high concentrations, suggest that Phippsaksla may not be a native of Mars at all — it may have traveled across space before crash-landing on the planet’s surface.

Unlike the smoother, weathered stones usually found in Jezero Crater, Phippsaksla has a bold, sculpted surface that hints at a dramatic past. Its unique form could be the result of intense heating, cosmic travel, and erosion from ancient Martian winds. Scientists believe that if this rock is indeed a meteorite, it may originate from the core of a once-larger asteroid, giving it a chemistry unlike anything Perseverance has studied before.

But the story doesn’t end there. Discoveries like Phippsaksla help researchers piece together Mars’ complex history — from its ancient climate to the impacts that shaped its surface over billions of years. Studying such “outsider” rocks allows scientists to understand how materials from across the solar system interact with Mars, how they weather over time, and what they reveal about planetary evolution.

In short, Phippsaksla is more than just a strange boulder — it’s a cosmic traveler, a scientific puzzle, and a rare clue that may help unlock the deeper story of Mars’ past.


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