NASA’s Perseverance rover has discovered an intriguing feature on a rock, nicknamed “Cheyava Falls” by the team. This arrowhead-shaped rock exhibits chemical signatures and structures that could possibly have been formed by life billions of years ago on Mars.
Perseverance acquired multiple scans of Cheyava Falls using its SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals) instrument. The data indicates it contains organic compounds, which are considered the building blocks of life. However, these compounds can also be formed by non-biological processes. Cheyava Falls measures approximately 3.2 feet by 2 feet and was named after a Grand Canyon waterfall.
- Feed a passion for science and technology – Kids can learn more about the challenges of space exploration with this LEGO Technic NASA Mars Rover...
- Conduct a test flight – This advanced building kit for kids ages 10 and up includes a buildable toy version of NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter, which...
- AR brings the mission to life – The accompanying augmented reality app experience lets kids dive into the details of the rover and its mission
Cheyava Falls is the most puzzling, complex, and potentially important rock yet investigated by Perseverance. On the one hand, we have our first compelling detection of organic material, distinctive colorful spots indicative of chemical reactions that microbial life could use as an energy source, and clear evidence that water — necessary for life — once passed through the rock. On the other hand, we have been unable to determine exactly how the rock formed and to what extent nearby rocks may have heated Cheyava Falls and contributed to these features,” said Ken Farley, Perseverance project scientist of Caltech in Pasadena.
