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Did Crystals from Ancient Lakes on Mars Form These Tiny, Weird Things?
NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars found tiny, dark bumps on a Martian ridge that are similar to those found around gypsum crystals that form in drying lakes on Earth, according to a statement from the space agency.
The tiny bumps are less than a half an inch wide. Some are star-shaped, while others are part of more complex V-shaped "swallowtails." The features are not crystals themselves, but could have formed over the crystals, like plaster over a mold. Researchers think the features are yet another sign that liquid water once flowed on the Red Planet.
NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars found tiny, dark bumps on a Martian ridge that are similar to those found around gypsum crystals that form in drying lakes on Earth, according to a statement from the space agency.
The tiny bumps are less than a half an inch wide. Some are star-shaped, while others are part of more complex V-shaped "swallowtails." The features are not crystals themselves, but could have formed over the crystals, like plaster over a mold. Researchers think the features are yet another sign that liquid water once flowed on the Red Planet.
