We have shared our solar system with Mars for so long, and yet there are always new things to learn about it. Here are some of the things that we did manage to discover over the years that you might not be familiar with.
Little Colonsay
In November 2018, NASA’s Curiosity rover spotted a shiny rock on Mars and nicknamed it “Little Colonsay.” In the initial photos that were studied by the scientists, it was believed that the object could be a meteorite that crashed into the surface of Mars.
An Intergalactic Message, Perhaps?
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) captured a fascinating shape on the Red Planet in February 2016 – a weird pattern on the surface that looked to be in the shape of Morse code. Interestingly, this code is made of dunes and hasn’t been translated yet.
Not Exactly a Rain Cloud
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter snapped a unique phenomenon on Mars in 2010 – a cloud of particles that was blowing upwards at a high cliff. Apparently, this is a common occurrence on the planet during springtime and is caused by an avalanche of CO2 frost.
Rock(et) Man
Mars’s potential to sustain life has been a long-standing debate. This discussion got more fuel when a rover named Spirit captured a photo of a human-like figure sitting on a rock. NASA, however, made it clear that it was just a rock.
Space Donut
A mysterious object that looked like a powdered, jelly-filled donut was caught on the camera of the Opportunity rover in 2014. No one has been able to answer where this mystery object came from but the Martian donut surely captivated earthlings.
Heat Shield Rock
The first meteorite ever discovered on another planet was a basketball-size meteorite found on Mars in January 2005 by the Opportunity rover. The space rock was mostly made of iron and nickel and was nicknamed Heat Shield Rock.