“Dragon scales” or “tire tracks” – NASA spacecraft makes a strange discovery on Mars

The Curiosity rover, currently the longest serving on Mars, also discovered unusual stones. The research robot has been active on the Red Planet since the summer of 2012, and has photographed an amazing layer of rocks there. It seems that the scientists who were the first to see the images on Earth were surprised by the engraved stones. Planetary geologist Michele Minetti, from Status update Who wrote about the image for Curiosity explained that team members described the image using terms such as “wavy,” “tire tracks,” and “dragon scales.”

Lots of layered rocks on Mars

“We have seen many layered rocks on Mars over the past 12 years, but they really stand out because of the amazing patterns they create on the rocky surfaces,” the researcher confirms. The rock, which the team named “Sawblade,” was “the real surprise of the day,” Minetti said. To express her surprise, the researcher titled her status update, “What is this??” With two question marks.

When making new observations, the scientific team tries to maintain a balance between “typical” and “atypical” findings, Minetti explains. “We want 'typical' observations to ensure that the dominant rock type is captured and tracked systematically. We want 'unusual' observations because they could indicate a change in rock type or chemistry that reveals a new geological process or system on Mount Sharp.”

“Curiosity” aims to further explore the unusual stone on Mars

The plan now is for Curiosity to use its ChemCam to examine the chemistry and texture of the stone, called a “saw blade.” Mastcam aims to capture a mosaic of the entire set of stone blocks — “so we can get a closer look at these new wild wonders,” Minniti said. “Who knows what we'll find next?” (unpaid bill)