Perseverance Rover of NASA Now Studying the Rock Trove on Jezero Crater’s Rim
The Perseverance Rover of NASA which had landed on Mars four years ago to explore the Jezero Crater of the planet as of now is exploring the western wall of this crater. In attempts to study the history as well as evolution of the planet, and also to understand the potential for habitability, scientists are currently studying the trove of rocks that are present on the crater rim.
Read more about it below.
Perseverance Rover – Cores Five Rocks on the Rim and Samples Three of Them
Following three and a half months of climbing, NASA’s Perseverance Rover reached the rim of Jezero Crater’s western wall (named ‘Witch Hazel Hill’) on the 12th of December 2024, and so far it has cored five rocks and sampled three of them. Up-close analysis of seven rocks and analysis of 83 more rocks by laser zapping were also done by the Mars-rover since January 2025. Notably, the western wall of the Jezero Crater which is 135 meters (445 foot) tall contains a ton of fragmented molten rocks, and scientists believe there are still more to be revealed from here.
The first rock sample that has been named ‘Silver Mountain’ was collected from the rock called ‘Shallow Bay’ on the 28th of January 2025. From what has been understood, it is at least 3.9 billion years old and could be formed during the Noachian – earliest geological period of Mars. About 110 meters (360 feet) away, outcrop containing indigenous minerals in crystallized form from magma also caught the attention of scientists. Around 160 meters (520 feet) north-east, another rock made almost out of serpentine materials was found too – which has been named ‘Tablelands’. While coring it was an easy task, scientists state that its sealing process was a difficult task. After this, eight days later, from a rock named ‘Main River’, the third rim sample was also collected.
Continuing the exploration on Witch Hazel Hill, three more additional outcrops (Sally’s Cove, Dennis Pond, and Mount Pearl) were analyzed by the Perseverance Rover and scientists are still not done with them yet as per what has been shared.
You may check out the previous updates that we have covered about NASA’s Perseverance Rover and its Mars Mission here.
