The Curiosity rover has been finding new discoveries on Mars. NASA latest Mars expedition with Curiosity has been successful so far. Now, the Curiosity rover finds purple rocks on Mars.
Most often, photos of Mars tend to have a rather rusty reddish color. The landscape on Mars is mostly that way as well. Curiosity did find something odd in its latest expedition, when it came across what looks to be purple rocks on Mars.
The photo taken by the Curiosity rover has been at the base of Mount Sharp. The photos consist of three frames. The purple rocks photos have been taken by Curiosity last November 10. NASA's statement has said that this purple color has been seen in other places on Mars where the composition has mostly been made of hematite, which is a type of iron-oxide mineral.
Mount Sharp is important for Curiosity's exploration. When it arrived on Mars, Mount Sharp has been one of the first places that have been identified to likely hold life. Curiosity will continue to explore Mount Sharp throughout its mission, according to Fox News.
It's not only purple rocks that have been found on Mount Sharp. The higher layers of Mount Sharp have been photographed by Curiosity as well. This exploration of Mount Sharp began last October, as Space.com notes. It will next target Hematite Unit and then the Clay Unit. Curiosity will then go on to the hills of Sulfate Unit. The last one is said to be Curiosity's highest destination.
Studying the different rock compositions would help scientists in knowing more about Mars' past. This would also help future manned expeditions as it would be critical for a manned expedition team to find the best place for settlement. Various manned expeditions have been planned, with NASA expected to have its own around 2030.
The Curiosity rover continues to explore Mars. In part this is in preparation for manned expeditions on Mars. The Curiosity rover finds purple rocks on Mars in its latest expedition. NASA has also featured its latest concept for ice homes on Mars.
