Green spots have been spotted on Mars by NASA's Perseverance rover. The Perseverance rover is approaching four years of activity on the Martian surface — and all the while, the rover has been exploring ancient environments, collecting samples and investigating whether our reddish neighbor may once have supported microbial life.
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In its most recent findings, Perseverance snapped a nighttime image of Malgosa Crest, at a location called “Serpentine Rapids,” using its SHERLOC WATSON. The image revealed white, black, and oddly green flecks within the rocky Martian terrain. While the composition of these rocks remains a mystery, the unexpected find has scientists about what other hidden treasures Perseverance may encounter in the future.
To obtain images of the interior of the rock, Perseverance surveyed a rock called “Wallace Butte.” The large green spot seen in the upper left of the image is about two millimeters in diameter. The image was acquired on August 19.
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Rocks on Earth that resemble the red rocks of Mars typically get their color from oxidized iron, the same type of iron that makes our blood red and similar to the oxidized red rust you might find on your car. The green flecks seen in the new image from Mars are also common in red rocks on Earth and form when liquid water seeps through the sediment before it hardens into rock. This process supports a chemical reaction that converts the oxidized iron to its reduced form, creating a green hue in the rock.
Sometimes, microbes play a role in this process on Earth, but the decomposition of organic matter can also create the right conditions for the reduction reaction. The chemical interaction between sulfur and iron can also facilitate iron reduction reactions without the help of microorganisms.
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Exactly what type of reaction was responsible for the green spots found by Perseverance on Mars will remain a mystery, however, as there wasn't enough room for the rover to safely place the SHERLOC and PIXL instruments directly above the green spot. The team hopes that Perseverance will discover something similar in the future to better understand the type of chemical reactions that create these features in the rock.
Source: livescience
