Though this was not a predicted finding, NASA’s Perseverance rover has just snapped a picture of a snowman-like rock formation standing on Mars. This fanciful discovery, captured by the Right Mastcam-Z camera on 13 July 2024, set many minds racing at the imagination.
Since landing in Jezero Crater in February 2021, Perseverance has been studying the Martian surface relentlessly, taking pictures, and gathering rock samples. The latest picture, taken during Sol 1208 of the mission, contains the stack of rocks that are in the lower left corner, looking remarkably like a snowman. Though this “snowman” is made from dry, dusty Martian rock rather than fluffy snow, it serves to remind one that even in the desolate landscapes on Mars, sometimes familiar shapes can arise.
The discovery comes at a time when the Mars sample-return mission, a crucial component in the search for extraterrestrial life, faces budget overruns and significant delays. Notwithstanding that, the mission keeps returning insights regarding the geological history of Mars and its potential to support life.
NASA experts have, for a long time, proposed that there might be water on Mars. Because the atmosphere is extremely thin, very little water can stay in its liquid form on the surface. However, there are pieces of evidence of water ice existing at subsurface levels in the polar regions and briny water that flows down hillsides and crater walls seasonally, which opens up some very exciting possibilities regarding the past life of this planet and its ability to support life.
More than just the wacky “snowman” formation, this is something a bit more, a window into the dynamic climate and weather events taking place on Mars. It is the Red Planet, a place of dust storms, and extreme weather, and where an atmosphere thick enough once existed that liquid water could flow for long periods across its surface.
As Perseverance continues in its quest, it will leave behind the Jezero Crater, climb up the rim, and explore other areas. Every discovery, from a rock sample to some odd formation, helps to increase our knowledge of Mars and its habitability for future human exploration.
Another observer compared attaching sentimental shapes to Martian rocks with identifying animals in overhead clouds. Moments of imagination and wonder like this remind us of the endless possibilities that space exploration holds, even when technical and financial challenges for interplanetary missions come into play.