Bounce rock, Mars. Image from the Mars exploration rover Opportunity of a rock dubbed the the Bounce rock. The rover's rock abrasion tool (RAT) was us
Bounce rock, Mars. Image from the Mars exploration rover Opportunity of a rock dubbed the the Bounce rock. The rover's rock abrasion tool (RAT) was used to analyse the chemical composition of this rock, producing a hole 7 millimetres deep and centimetres across. So named because it is believed that the rover hit it on landing, Bounce is significant because not only does its chemical composition differ from that of other surface rocks but it exactly matches that of some meteorites on Earth. The implication is that meteorites hitting Mars knocked parts of the planet in the direction of Earth. Photographed on the 10th March 2004.
Size: 2937px × 2974px
Photo credit: © NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 01/04/2004, anomalous, berry, bounce, bowl, exploration, geological, geology, mars, martian, opportunity, physical, physics, rock, rover, solar, system
