JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo
Image

Curiosity Spots Finger-Like Rocks

June 15, 2022
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover spotted these finger-like rocks with its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, on May 15, 2022.

click here for larger version of figure A for PIA25362
Figure A

click here for larger version of figure B for PIA25362
Figure B

Click on images for larger versions

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover spotted these finger-like rocks with its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, on May 15, 2022, the 3,474th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. These likely formed as groundwater trickled through rock in the ancient past, depositing mineral cements over time; many years later, when the rock was exposed to the atmosphere, wind eroded the softer material around the cemented portions. The rocks were found on Mount Sharp, the 3-mile-tall (5-kilometer-tall) mountain that Curiosity has been climbing since 2014.

Figure A shows a close-up of the finger-like rocks.

Figure B is a 3-D version meant to be viewed through red-blue glasses.

Curiosity was built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which leads the mission on behalf of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and operates Mastcam.

For more about Curiosity, visit http://mars.nasa.gov/msl or https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html.

Download JPG
Download TIFF
Mission
Target
  • Mars
Spacecraft
  • Curiosity
Instrument
  • Mastcam
Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Keep Exploring

Curiosity's 360-Degree Panorama of Avanavero Drill Site

Curiosity's View of Sulfate-Bearing Region and Streambed Rocks

Curiosity's Mastcam Views Layers at Las Claritas

Curiosity's View of Haze During Dust Season

Curiosity's Mastcam Views Flaky, Streambed Rocks

Curiosity's 360-degree Panorama Near Sierra Maigualida

Door-Shaped Fracture Spotted by Curiosity at East Cliffs

Curiosity Finds Gator-Back Rocks on Greenheugh

Curiosity's 360-Degree Panorama of Gator-Back Rocks on Greenheugh

Curiosity's Hazcam Catches a Dusty Wind Gust

Related Topic

News .

10 Years Since Landing, NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover Still Has Drive

News .

NASA Marks 25 Years Since Pathfinder Touched Down on Mars

News .

NASA Will Inspire World When It Returns Mars Samples to Earth in 2033

News .

NASA, ESA to Discuss Mars Sample Return Mission

Audio .

Episode 7: Flying with Ingenuity: the Mars Helicopter

News .

NASA’s Perseverance Scouts Mars Sample Return Campaign Landing Sites

News .

My Favorite Martian Image: ‘Enchanted’ Rocks at Jezero Crater

News .

Help NASA Scientists Find Clouds on Mars

Event June 30, 2022 .

JPL & the Space Age: The Pathfinders

News .

NASA’s Curiosity Takes Inventory of Key Life Ingredient on Mars

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono
CL#: 21-0018