Curiosity Spots Metallic Meteorite on Mars

Alien hunters have long suggested that alien remnants and odd objects were spotted on the surface of Mars including a replica of Donald Trump's face. But apparently, the red planet is not an alien hotspot, but a meteorite hub. NASA's Mars Curiosity rover spotted another odd object on the surface of Mars, but it is not an alleged alien remnant this time but a piece of meteorite.

Reports say this is not the first meteorite sighting on the surface of the red planet and it definitely won't be the last to be spotted there. Mars could actually be a good spot to search for meteorites. The rover spotted a small piece from a meteorite according to the Arizona State University using the instruments aboard the rover. The meteorite was easy to spot since its material is different and distinct from the Martian surface. The meteorite appears to be composed of nickel-iron that looks way different from the rocks found on Mars.

Curiosity took the image of the rock last Oct. 30, 2016. In the photo, a small, grayish object with odd features was captured. The said features are present in meteorites allowing astronomers and scientists to conclude that the photographed rock is indeed a meteorite.

In 2014, a meteorite was also discovered on the surface of Mars. Scientists find it amusing and interesting to find alien objects like space debris on other planets. Reports say that both the non-operational Spirit Rover and the still active Opportunity rover also managed to capture images of meteorites on the surface of Mars.

Since space debris that fell on the red planet are less likely to change in millions of years as compared to Earth making Mars a very good place to search for meteorites and to study them. This is due to the minimal or even lack of moisture and oxygen and its relatively thin atmosphere.

The Arizona State University also released a close-up image of the meteorite with obvious dark material that made it stand out from the planet's surface. Incidents like this are a typical occurrence on Mars as expressed by NASA on previous meteorite sighting.

"On Mars, iron meteorites dominate the small number of meteorites that have been found. Part of the explanation could come from the resistance of iron meteorites to erosion processes on Mars," a NASA official said in a statement in 2014.