NASA spots unusual iron-nickel rock on Mars, possibly a meteorite

NASA’s Perseverance rover has stumbled upon an unusual rock during its recent survey of the Vernodden bedrock area, raising the possibility of a new meteorite discovery on Mars.

According to mission updates from NASA, the rover encountered an 80-centimetre-wide, sculpted rock named ‘Phippsaksla’, which stood out sharply from the flatter, fragmented terrain around it. After examining the rock with its SuperCam instrument, scientists found that it contains high levels of iron and nickel, a combination typically linked to iron-nickel meteorites formed in the cores of ancient asteroids. This suggests the rock may have originated elsewhere in the solar system.

If confirmed, this would mark Perseverance’s first iron-nickel meteorite discovery. Other Mars missions have encountered several such objects in the past. NASA’s Curiosity rover found the large ‘Lebanon’ meteorite in 2014 and spotted another, nicknamed ‘Cacao’, in 2023. Earlier rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, also documented iron-nickel meteorites during their missions.

Scientists had long wondered why Perseverance had not yet identified similar meteorites within Jezero crater, even though the region’s age and impact history suggested they should be present. The new find sits outside the crater on bedrock believed to have been formed through past impact processes – strengthening the case that this object may indeed be a meteorite.

Researchers say more analysis is needed before making a formal classification, but if confirmed, the discovery would place Perseverance alongside earlier rovers that have studied ‘visitors’ from beyond Mars.