Mars is one of Earth's closest astronomical neighbors, and the prospect of discovering mysterious life there—just a brief rocket flight away—has long stimulated human interest. No such life has yet been discovered.
Nonetheless, since NASA and other space institutions began using robotic technology to explore the surface and atmosphere of the Red Planet, images of uncommon formations and features have continued to captivate scientists and space fans alike, evoking both fear and hope.
From an open travel escort to the likeness of a teddy bear, frozen mineral blooms, a mysterious portal, and lapidified animal tracks, there are many fascinating objects on Mars that appear out of place on a desolate, dusty planet, sparking human interest.
NASA's Mars tenacity rover captured this image using its Right Mastcam-Z camera. Mastcam-Z consists of 2 cameras mounted high on the rover's mast. This picture was taken on September 27, 2024 (Sol 1282) at the local mean solar time of 11:50:05.
It appears to be a piece of sedimentary sandstone, resonating to other rocks in its vicinity. This is not new for Mars, especially in regions where water is believed to have once flowed.