Meteorite Discovered on Mars
In January 2005, the Mars rover Opportunity approached its heat shield, which had been jettisoned earlier when the rover entered Mar's atmosphere. The plan was to evaluate its condition. Near the shield was a metallic-looking, pitted rock that caught the attention of NASA scientists. The rover analyzed this find with a spectrometer and confirmed that it was made up mainly of iron and nickel-probably an iron meteorite. This is the first meteorite to be discovered on another planet and the first to be discovered by a robot!
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| Cavities at the surface of the meteorite make scientists think that the object fell to Mars long ago, when the planet's atmosphere was denser. Traces of rust confirm that it has been there a long time, because there is no longer any water on Mars. |
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| Mars doesn't have a post office, so the meteorite that was found near the rover's heat shield is called the Heat Shield Rock. |
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| One of Opportunity's instruments moving close to the object to study it. |
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