Mars rover finds surprising rock, nuzzles it and shoots it with lasers

The rock is not like other?rocks?seen on?Mars. It has more sodium and potassium.

By The Associated Press / October 12, 2012

This NASA image from Mars Curiosity's Mast Camera taken on September 22 and released October 11 shows where NASA's Mars Curiosity rover aimed two different instruments to study a rock known as 'Jake Matijevic.'

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Reuters

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The first?rock?nuzzled by NASA's?Mars?Curiosity rover is turning out to be a bit more unusual than scientists thought it would be.

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Curiosity used its robot arm to touch at a football-sized pyramid-shaped?rock?for the first time two weeks ago. It also shot the?rock?dozens of times with a laser.

The results surprised scientists. They said Thursday that it is not like other?rocks?seen on?Mars. It has more sodium and potassium.

Scientist Edward Stolper said the?rock?is more like rare volcanic?rocks?seen on Earth in places like Hawaii. Those?rocks?are formed under high pressure, deep underground and once contained water.

Scientists don't know how old the Martian?rock?is.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/0RVq_SRASA4/Mars-rover-finds-surprising-rock-nuzzles-it-and-shoots-it-with-lasers

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