The Perseverance rover has begun exploring a region that resembles Monument Valley in Arizona and Utah in the US, or perhaps like a set from an old sci-fi movie. The rock formations on Mars are amazing in their shapes and sizes. What happened to create the weird formations here?
There is a small rock on top of a large rock formation that catches the eye.
The image is from NASA/JPL-Caltech.
It would be interesting to know the history of that rock. There is a rock that is in an unlikely position. It's doubtful Perseverance could drive in for a closer look at the rugged area.
It is very likely that the rock was part of the original bedrock formation. Mars is a windy planet because of the wind. We can see its power on the Red Planet. Wind erosion is a powerful agent in desert areas on Earth like the one on Mars.
According to the team for the High Resolution Science Experiment, aeolian activity is the most active geologic process on Mars.
Given the high winds and the tendency for dust storms to occur on Mars, it is most likely that this "balancing rock" was carved by wind and flung by dust like a sandblaster over thousands of years. The natural wonders we see today were revealed by the wear down of layers of soft and hard rock.
There was evidence of alien intervention on the landscape. You can take a look.
My team has spotted something unexpected: It’s a piece of a thermal blanket that they think may have come from my descent stage, the rocket-powered jet pack that set me down on landing day back in 2021. pic.twitter.com/O4rIaEABLu
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) June 15, 2022
A thermal blanket is a material used to control temperatures. I was surprised to find that my descent stage crashed about 2 km away. The team asked if the piece landed here after that or if it was blown here by the wind. The foil is shown in a closeup.
It will be interesting to see how much Perseverance can study the unique features of this region. There is a feature on top of a rock.
The image is from NASA/ JPL-Caltech.
It's fitting that the features the rover sees on Mars are named after the Native American tribes of the area. A friend of ours has an idea.
In all seriousness since NASA has adopted the practice of naming features Perseverance finds with Navajo/Diné terms, they should do that. (See https://t.co/symXqLCgpC) But, if they want to expand to other indigenous words may I suggest “Montaup,” Narragansett for “look out hill.”
— Jason Major (@JPMajor) June 13, 2022
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