Washington – Morocco today
NASA’s Curiosity rover has discovered some strange structures on the surface of Mars The rover found the formations that pierced the landscape in Jill Crater last month, and took a picture sent to NASA scientists, and they are actually believed to be naturally occurring rocky constellations, which are also found on Earth .
Experts say the pillars may have formed from cement-like materials that filled the ancient cracks of the Martian foundation, and over time, the softer rocks eroded away, leaving only the twisted towers of compressed material protruding from the sand in the crater.
Rock formations like these are of interest to NASA, as they reveal more information about the history of the Gale Crater. The fracture serves as a template in which hard rock is formed, and the cap is all that remains after the surrounding sedimentary rock has been eroded by rain, wind or frost.
NASA’s Curiosity probe has been in Gale Crater on Mars since November 2011. The crater is 96 miles in diameter and includes Aeolus Mons, which rises 18,000 feet above the crater floor.
Although not completely flat, the crater is thought to be the bottom of a dry lake on the Red Planet, and the presence of these shapes could be an outdated indication of its depth.
The plumes may look fragile and ready to tip over, but they are strong enough to withstand Mars’ gravity, which is 62% less than Earth’s.
NASA said the lake’s water may have deposited minerals in cracks in its bottom, which have compressed over time to form rocks that are much tougher and denser than what surrounds it.
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