NASA, Mars Curiosity: Rover Finds Odd Shiny Small Object on the Red Planet [PHOTOS]
Curiosity drills first Martian rock
NASA's Mars Curiosity rover has spotted another odd shiny small object on the red planet. Observers of Martian images are always on the lookout for something "curious" on the planet. This time, an image editor pointed out a bulge unlike any other amid Martian rocks.
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UniverseToday.com was contacted by image editor Elisabetta Bonora, from Italy. She noted "a small metallic-looking protuberance on a rock" from an image taken last week, Jan. 30, with the right Mastcam on Curiosity on Sol 173. (See photos in the accompanying slideshow.)
The small object "is probably about 0.5 cm tall, or even smaller," writes UniverseToday. It appears to be reflecting a lot of light relative to its rocky surroundings. It looks as though the shiny protrusion is nestled atop a rather pointy rock, as if it somehow grew in size over time. Other photo editors on Flickr have also taken interest on the small shiny Martian object, taking the full resolution photo from the NASA web site to zoom in carefully.
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Curiosity Rover Hammers on First Martian Rock
Meanwhile, scientists are celebrating Curiosity's first pouncing on its first Martian rock.
"We tapped this rock on Mars with our drill. Keep it classy everyone," Curiosity flight director Bobak Ferdowsi tweeted on a jovial mood over the weekend. The drill is expected to expose the rock an inch deep. Curiosity may or may not find evidence that the Martian Gale Crater (its landing site) has hosted the presence of microbial life.
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