NASA’s Curiosity Rover Zaps a Pebble with Its Laser
NASA’s Curiosity rover has been exploring the surface of Mars since 2012. One of the rover’s most important tools is its laser, which it uses to vaporize small patches of rock and soil. This allows the rover to study the composition of the Martian surface in great detail.
On December 2, 2024, Curiosity used its laser to zap a small pebble. The pebble was about the size of a pea, and it was located in an area of the Gale crater that is thought to have once been a lake.
The laser vaporized a small amount of material from the pebble, and the rover’s spectrometers analyzed the vapor. The spectrometers detected a number of elements in the vapor, including iron, magnesium, and calcium. These elements are all common in Martian rocks, but the relative abundances of the elements can vary depending on the type of rock.
The data from the laser analysis will help scientists to better understand the composition of the Martian surface. This information will be used to help plan future missions to Mars, and it will also help scientists to learn more about the history of the planet.
In addition to the laser analysis, Curiosity also took a number of images of the pebble. The images show that the pebble is covered in small pits and craters. These pits and craters are likely the result of impacts from micrometeorites.
The images also show that the pebble is composed of a number of different types of rock. This suggests that the pebble was formed from a variety of different sources.
The laser analysis and the images of the pebble provide scientists with valuable information about the composition and history of the Martian surface. This information will help scientists to better understand the planet and its past.
Sols 4732-4735: I’ll Zap You, My Pretty, and Your Pebble Too
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