World News Headlines November 14, 2021 Under One Ceiling 0 Why NASA just ground a circle into this Martian rock 0 0000 0 0 more Why NASA just ground a circle into this Martian rock November 14, 2021 Under One Ceiling now playing Transferring money from UAE abroad: what are my cheapest options November 14, 2021 Under One Ceiling WIN With Nespresso This Mother’s Day November 14, 2021 Under One Ceiling NBA Playoffs 2022: A Casual Fan's Guide to the Postseason November 14, 2021 Under One Ceiling Best New Climbing Gear of 2022 November 14, 2021 Under One Ceiling A Local Weekend Travel Guide to Austin, Texas November 14, 2021 Under One Ceiling First Drive: 2022 Range Rover Ups the Luxury SUV Experience November 14, 2021 Under One Ceiling Most Stylish Rain Jackets, Parkas, and Trench Coats for Men November 14, 2021 Under One Ceiling EU eyes Russian oil import ban as Moscow strikes western Ukraine November 14, 2021 Under One Ceiling World-class Clark Int’l Airport opens new 110,000 square-meter passenger terminal November 14, 2021 Under One Ceiling PCG: Bodies of 5 children who drowned in Taal Lake found November 14, 2021 Under One Ceiling Why NASA just ground a circle into this Martian rock What’s inside? NASA’s Perseverance rover — a car-sized robot carrying a slew of cameras and gadgets — ground away the surface of a Martian rock this week to peek at what’s inside. The space agency tweeted out images of the distinct mark of human exploration now left on the desert planet: It’s a circle-shaped abrasion (and there are others, too). An integral part of Perseverance’s mission is to collect interesting and diverse samples of the rocky Martian surface, for a later mission to ferry back to Earth. By grinding away the surface of a rock, NASA’s planetary scientists can better grasp the geologic history of an area, like how the rock formed and whether it existed in a watery environment. Over time, the extreme, windswept surface environs on Mars can obscure this past. “The unaltered rock below the surface may hold important clues to the history of the area,” Iona Brockie, a sampling engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, wrote in a 2021 blog post. Ultimately, grinding away at rocks will lead scientists to the most promising, or interesting, samples to bring back home. Tweet may have been deleted The drill and abrasion tool on the Mars Perseverance Rover. Credit: NASA / JPL The speckled, diverse insides of the rock are visible in NASA’s new images. Once the drill makes a two-inch-wide hole, another instrument “uses four short puffs to blow the cuttings away and reveal the fresh rock surface underneath,” explained Brockie. A fundamental part of the Perseverance mission is to look for clues of past microbial life on Mars — should any have ever existed. Already, the space agency has drilled two inches into the surface to collect a sample and seal it in a tube. SEE ALSO: NASA’s sci-fi mission to move an asteroid is crucial for humanity Perseverance is currently rumbling through the Jezero Crater, a place NASA scientists suspect was “once flooded with water.” Related Related posts: Got WFH back pain? This adjustable standing desk is $100 off this Cyber Monday. South Africa parliament sprinklers failed during fire, report says North Korea confirms missile test from train amid fresh sanctions UK government: Kremlin has plan “to install pro-Russian leadership” in Ukraine tags: RSS Feed World News 0000 0 0 previous This Black Friday Apple Watch deal is an absolute steal — save nearly $300 next There's an asteroid following Earth, and it may be from the moon
