时间：2026-01-07 02:17:56 来源：网络整理编辑：百科
These ancient Red Planet rocks have taken on some strangely gripping shapes. NASA's Curiosity rover
These ancient Red Planet rocks have taken on some strangely gripping shapes.
NASA's Curiosity rover recently encountered finger-like rocks while rumbling over the desert landscape and snapped some postcard-worthy photos with the vehicle's Mast Camera, or Mastcam.
SEE ALSO:NASA just inflated its new-age spaceship heat shield for MarsTweet may have been deleted
No, it's not a decrepit hand clawing out of the ground, agency researchers said. (Sorry, folks. So far, there's no evidence of life anywhere other than Earth.) The rocks likely formed as groundwater trickled through them long, long ago, according to a NASA post. That process could have deposited mineral cement over time.
Many years later — think billions, probably — the rocks became exposed to the air, and gusty winds eroded the softer material around the cemented parts, NASA explained, carving the harder pieces into odd shapes.
Curiosity is the largest rover ever sent to Mars, arriving on the desert planet in August 2012. Credit: NASACuriosity discovered the rocks on Mount Sharp, a 3-mile-tall Martian mountain it has been climbing for about eight years. The rover, a car-size robot, is investigating a region that could hold evidence of "a major change from wetter to drier conditions" in the planet's early history, according to NASA.
Launched from Earth in 2011, Curiosity is the largest rover ever sent to Mars, arriving on the desert planet in August 2012. For much of its journey, it has studied rocks from a period when Mars could have supported small, microbial life.
TopicsInnovationsNASA
Michael Phelps says goodbye to the pool with Olympic gold2026-01-07 02:07
New iPhone 7 ad is dark and scary2026-01-07 01:49
Marine conservation efforts just took a major step forward2026-01-07 01:30
There's still money in new media — if you've got the right résumé2026-01-07 01:11
Dog elected for third term as mayor of Minnesota town2026-01-07 01:04
Simone Biles opens up about her ADHD on Twitter2026-01-07 01:03
Group of hungry grizzly bears terrorize Canadian family2026-01-07 00:42
'YOLO!' Oxford English Dictionary lives life on the edge with new entries2026-01-07 00:38
Mom discovers security cameras hacked, kids' bedroom livestreamed2026-01-07 00:26
Celebrities release powerful video to support #WithRefugees campaign2026-01-07 00:20
Pokémon Go is so big that it has its own VR porn parody now2026-01-07 01:59
Here's how to use 'invisible ink' in iMessage2026-01-07 01:58
Instagram is rolling out its tool to filter offensive comments to all users2026-01-07 01:45
Genius creates iMessage extension to bring more lyrics to your messages2026-01-07 01:26
Florida hurricane forecast remains uncertain, but trends in state's favor2026-01-07 01:25
What have Colin Kaepernick's protests accomplished?2026-01-07 01:05
'YOLO!' Oxford English Dictionary lives life on the edge with new entries2026-01-07 00:54
Good news, earthlings! David's Bowie's final studio recordings will be released2026-01-07 00:44
This weird squid looks like it has googly eyes, guys2026-01-07 00:40
Have 'A Perfect Day in Los Angeles' with VR from Jaunt and Tastemade2026-01-07 00:04
