‘Heavy Metal! I found iron meteorite on Mars’: Curiosity rover discovers its first space rock on red planet - and it's huge
The Mars Curiosity rover has found its first meteorite on the red planet – a hefty, shiny rock dubbed ‘Lebanon’.
Made mostly of iron, the impressive meteorite is 7 feet (2 metres) wide and could help scientists uncover the reason why most meteorites on the red planet are iron rich.
The rock has generated excitement in Houston. On Twitter, the rover's handlers wrote: ‘Heavy Metal! I found an iron meteorite on Mars’, while Nasa spokesman Guy Webster described the rock as ‘huge’.
Images of the meteorite also revealed a smaller space rock nearby, which has been labelled ‘Lebanon B.’
Mr Webster added that a third meteorite, which is also about 7 feet (2 metres) wide and close to the Lebanon meteorites, may have been captured in a raw, unreleased image.
The Lebanon image show strange angular cavities in the surface of the rock, similar to other iron meteorites previously observed by Spirit and Opportunity rovers.
‘One possible explanation is that they resulted from preferential erosion along crystalline boundaries within the metal of the rock,’ Nasa said.
‘Another possibility is that these cavities once contained olivine crystals, which can be found in a rare type of stony-iron meteorites called pallasites.’
Nasa released a detailed photo of the Lebanon meteorites yesterday, however the Curiosity rover made the discovery of the space rocks on May 25.
They are the first space rocks on Mars discovered by the Curiosity rover since it landed on the red planet two years ago.
Iron meteorites are not rare among meteorites found on Earth, but they are less common than stony meteorites.
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.
Videos
Interview with Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director
Armenians Commemorating 106th Anniversary of Genocide
Biden Under Pressure to Recognize Armenian Genocide - KTLA 5 News
Governance and Oversight Capacities Account for Our Bank's Robust Management System - Philip Lynch, Independent Board Member at Ameriabank
'Mr. President, It Is Now in Your Power to Right Decades of Denial' - US Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Joe Biden to Recognize Armenian Genocide
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in Despair After Trauma of Military Defeat - France 24
Interview with Kakhaber Kiknavelidze, an Independent Member of Ameriabank Board of Directors
Only Terrorists Keep Hostages, Putting Forward Preconditions for Their Release - Edmon Marukyan
Rep Adam Schiff Says Congress Should Recognize Artsakh
UN's Guterres Issues Global Appeal to Make 2021 'Year of Healing'
NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Animations
Azerbaijan Uses Prohibited Phosphorus Chemical Munitions - Defense Army Video
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Arms Supplies
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Drone
Nagorno-Karabakh's Status Has Been At the Heart of Our Approach - Zohrab Mnatsakanyan
Artsakh Defense Army Releases Video Featuring Damaged Azerbaijani Military Equipment
Artsakh Defense Army Units Inflicting Manpower Losses on Azerbaijan
Gas Pipeline Damaged in Azerbaijani Fire Targeting Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital
President Armen Sarkissian Meets Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizes Azerbaijani Military Hardware
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Military Infrastructures
President Armen Sarkissian Meets with NATO Secretary-General in Brussels
Buildings and Homes Lying in Ruins in Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital After Azerbaijani Shelling
Artsakh Defense Army's Precision Fire Gives Deadly Blow to Enemy
Artsakh Defense Army Units Destroying Azerbaijani Tank
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Ceasefire Does not Mandate Azerbaijan to Kill Civilians and Hit Civilian Settlements
Armenians Protest Outside Turkrish Embassy in Los Angeles
Losses in Azerbaijan's Military Featured in Defense Army Footage
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizing Adversary's Transport Column
Turkey openly backs Azerbaijan 'far more aggressively than in the past' - ABC News on Syrian mercenaries fighting in Karabakh
Iconic Armenian Church Hit in Azerbaijani Attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh City (photos)
Artsakh Defense Army Continues High-Precision Strikes
War Situation in Karabakh on European Parliament's Agenda
Call for Urgent Action: Armenian Journalist Brings Intn'l Colleagues' Attention to Situation iin Artsakh After Azerbaijani Attacks
Turkey's Support to Syrian Mercenaries Fighting Against Artsakh: Facts About Azerbaijani Aggression
Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital Under Azerbaijani Strikes
Armenian Armed Forces Neutralize Azerbaijani Defense Positions
ArmenianTroops Destroy Azerbaijani Armored Fighting Vehicle on Frontline
There is a solid evidence that Azerbaijan has launched a thoroughly planned attack on the NKR
EU calls for Immediate End to Hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh
-
15:20 • 24.05.21
Interview with Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director
-
11:39 • 24.04.21
Armenians Commemorating 106th Anniversary of Genocide
-
09:40 • 23.04.21
Biden Under Pressure to Recognize Armenian Genocide - KTLA 5 News
-
15:34 • 22.04.21
Governance and Oversight Capacities Account for Our Bank's Robust Management System - Philip Lynch, Independent Board Member at Ameriabank
-
14:09 • 21.04.21
'Mr. President, It Is Now in Your Power to Right Decades of Denial' - US Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Joe Biden to Recognize Armenian Genocide
-
12:37 • 03.04.21
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in Despair After Trauma of Military Defeat - France 24
-
17:33 • 11.03.21
Interview with Kakhaber Kiknavelidze, an Independent Member of Ameriabank Board of Directors
-
17:57 • 26.01.21
Only Terrorists Keep Hostages, Putting Forward Preconditions for Their Release - Edmon Marukyan
-
13:33 • 22.01.21
Rep Adam Schiff Says Congress Should Recognize Artsakh
-
09:42 • 29.12.20
UN's Guterres Issues Global Appeal to Make 2021 'Year of Healing'
-
18:41 • 24.12.20
NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Animations
-
13:33 • 31.10.20
Azerbaijan Uses Prohibited Phosphorus Chemical Munitions - Defense Army Video
-
16:37 • 30.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Arms Supplies
-
11:25 • 28.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Drone
-
13:45 • 24.10.20
Nagorno-Karabakh's Status Has Been At the Heart of Our Approach - Zohrab Mnatsakanyan
-
11:51 • 24.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Releases Video Featuring Damaged Azerbaijani Military Equipment
-
11:40 • 24.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Units Inflicting Manpower Losses on Azerbaijan
-
10:39 • 24.10.20
Gas Pipeline Damaged in Azerbaijani Fire Targeting Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital
-
12:41 • 23.10.20
President Armen Sarkissian Meets Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace
-
12:16 • 23.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizes Azerbaijani Military Hardware
-
12:02 • 22.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Military Infrastructures
-
10:35 • 22.10.20
President Armen Sarkissian Meets with NATO Secretary-General in Brussels
-
10:51 • 17.10.20
Buildings and Homes Lying in Ruins in Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital After Azerbaijani Shelling
-
15:09 • 15.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army's Precision Fire Gives Deadly Blow to Enemy
-
13:13 • 13.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Units Destroying Azerbaijani Tank
-
12:56 • 12.10.20
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Ceasefire Does not Mandate Azerbaijan to Kill Civilians and Hit Civilian Settlements
-
12:23 • 12.10.20
Armenians Protest Outside Turkrish Embassy in Los Angeles
-
17:23 • 09.10.20
Losses in Azerbaijan's Military Featured in Defense Army Footage
-
15:53 • 09.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizing Adversary's Transport Column
-
14:11 • 09.10.20
Turkey openly backs Azerbaijan 'far more aggressively than in the past' - ABC News on Syrian mercenaries fighting in Karabakh
-
15:52 • 08.10.20
Iconic Armenian Church Hit in Azerbaijani Attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh City (photos)
-
10:57 • 08.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Continues High-Precision Strikes
-
14:24 • 07.10.20
War Situation in Karabakh on European Parliament's Agenda
-
19:31 • 05.10.20
Call for Urgent Action: Armenian Journalist Brings Intn'l Colleagues' Attention to Situation iin Artsakh After Azerbaijani Attacks
-
16:17 • 04.10.20
Turkey's Support to Syrian Mercenaries Fighting Against Artsakh: Facts About Azerbaijani Aggression
-
12:39 • 04.10.20
Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital Under Azerbaijani Strikes
-
13:49 • 03.10.20
Armenian Armed Forces Neutralize Azerbaijani Defense Positions
-
10:12 • 29.09.20
ArmenianTroops Destroy Azerbaijani Armored Fighting Vehicle on Frontline
-
23:42 • 28.09.20
There is a solid evidence that Azerbaijan has launched a thoroughly planned attack on the NKR
-
18:45 • 28.09.20
EU calls for Immediate End to Hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh
Most popular articles Today Yesterday For a week
Economy
-
11:33 • 21.11.24 Unibank to Issue Subordinated Bonds for the First Time in Armenia
-
16:51 • 11.11.24 New features for Armeconombank’s Premium cardholders
Event
-
11:50 • 20.11.24 US embassy in Kyiv shuts down over anticipated air attack
-
14:40 • 19.11.24 Ucom’s 5G network launched in 11 new cities
Science/tech
-
14:18 • 08.05.24 AstraZeneca withdrawing Covid vaccine worldwide
