Perseverance spots unusual iron‑nickel rock in Jezero Crater, likely a Martian meteorite
NASA’s Perseverance rover has discovered an eye‑catching rock perched atop a bedrock outcrop on the outskirts of Jezero Crater. Nicknamed “Phippsaksla,” the roughly 80-centimeter (31-inch) wide object stands out from its surroundings and is suspected to be an iron‑nickel meteorite. If confirmed, it would mark Perseverance’s first find of this kind inside Jezero.
Iron‑nickel meteorites are no strangers to Mars. Other rovers, including Curiosity in Gale Crater, have cataloged several. Jezero’s landscape suggests meteorites should be present too, yet none had been identified by Perseverance until now.
Phippsaksla was spotted during a bedrock investigation at a site called Vernodden. Unlike the nearby low-lying, flat, and fragmented rocks, this object rises prominently and shows a cavernous, pitted texture that immediately drew attention. Perseverance first captured the unusual formation with its Left Mastcam-Z camera, then turned to its SuperCam instrument for a closer look. The follow-up analysis indicated the rock contains iron and nickel, a hallmark of many stony-iron and metallic meteorites found on planetary surfaces.
While the composition strongly hints at an extraterrestrial origin, mission scientists plan additional observations to confirm the classification. A verified iron‑nickel meteorite in Jezero would offer fresh clues about how meteoritic material accumulates and weathers on the Martian surface, adding another piece to the Red Planet’s geological story.
