NASA’s Curiosity rover spots coral-like rock on Mars — right here’s what it actually means

In a brand new picture despatched from Mars, NASA’s Curiosity rover has captured one thing that instantly caught scientists’ consideration– a small, oddly formed rock that carefully resembles coral. According to a report by NASA, the picture was taken on July 24, 2025, in the course of the rover’s 4,609th day on the Martian floor.At first look, it might look like a curious form. But behind this formation lies a a lot older and extra detailed story– one which stretches again billions of years to a time when Mars was a really completely different place.Ancient water and wind: The forces that formed itAccording to the NASA report, such a construction is the results of a standard geological course of. In the distant previous, when liquid water nonetheless existed on Mars, it seeped into cracks in rocks. That water carried dissolved minerals, which settled into the cracks and stayed behind as soon as the water dried up.Over time, the encompassing rock, which was much less resistant, was worn away by steady wind erosion– leaving the mineral deposits uncovered in uncommon shapes. These formations, whereas formed by pure forces, are sometimes visually advanced and have been in comparison with floral or marine buildings discovered on Earth, as per the NASA report.Close-up Captured by ChemCamAccording to the report, the picture of the coral-like rock was taken utilizing the Remote Micro Imager (RMI), a part of the ChemCam instrument aboard Curiosity. ChemCam performs a key position in serving to scientists examine the composition and texture of rocks from a distance.Around the identical interval, one other rock with an identical type was noticed utilizing Curiosity’s Mars Hand Lens Imager, including extra element to this ongoing examine of Martian geology.According to the NASA report, the ChemCam itself is the results of a global partnership– developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory, in collaboration with the French house company CNES, the University of Toulouse, and CNRS.A mission that retains deliveringCuriosity, which landed on Mars in 2012, continues to function from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. The rover is a part of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission and operates below the broader Mars Exploration Program, led by the company’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.Not simply an odd formWhile the rock’s form has drawn curiosity as a consequence of its resemblance to coral, the true significance lies in what it tells us about Mars. Formations like these supply proof that water as soon as performed an energetic position in shaping the Martian floor.Wind, minerals, and erosion have mixed over billions of years to create the landscapes that Curiosity continues to discover right this moment. This newest discover is one other reminder of how a lot Mars has modified– and the way a lot there may be nonetheless to know.Thumb picture: X/@astrobiobuzz