NASA’s Perseverance rover has discovered an intriguing whitish rock on Mars during a mission that has revealed interesting geological findings in the ancient river channel Neretva Vallis, in Jezero Crater. The rock, nicknamed “Atoko Point”, stands out for its light color and mottled texture, in contrast to the darker surrounding rocks.

The discovery was made after Perseverance navigated a dune field to avoid large rocks that could damage its wheels. Upon reaching a hill known as “Mount Washburn”, the rover encountered various rocks with unique textures and compositions. However, it was Atoko Point that caught the scientific team’s attention due to its mineral composition, mainly pyroxene and feldspar.

The diversity of textures and compositions at Mount Washburn was an exciting discovery for the team, as these rocks represent a grab bag of geological gifts brought in from the crater rim and potentially beyond, said Brad Garczynski of Western Washington University in Bellingham, co-leader of the current science campaign. But among all these different rocks, there was one that really caught our attention. They nicknamed it Atoko Point.

On June 6, NASA's Perseverance probe was moving through the old channel of the Neretva Vallis River when it captured with one of its navigation cameras this image of an area of scientific interest called
On June 6, NASA’s Perseverance probe was moving through the old channel of the Neretva Vallis River when it captured with one of its navigation cameras this image of an area of scientific interest called “Bright Angel”, the light-toned area seen on the right. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech

About 45 centimeters wide and 35 centimeters high, the light-toned, mottled pebble stands out in a field of darker rocks. Analysis conducted by Perseverance’s SuperCam and Mastcam-Z instruments indicates that the rock is composed of the minerals pyroxene and feldspar. In terms of the size, shape, and arrangement of its mineral grains and crystals, and potentially its chemical composition, Atoko Point is in a league of its own.

Brad Garczynski, co-leader of the scientific campaign from Western Washington University, explained that the diversity of rocks at Mount Washburn offers valuable clues about Mars’ ancient geological processes. Some scientists believe that the minerals in Atoko Point formed in a subsurface magma body now exposed at the crater rim, while others suggest the rock may have been transported by ancient Martian currents.

Either way, the team believes that although Atoko is the first of its kind they have seen, it won’t be the last.

The Perseverance rover, managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, continues its mission exploring Jezero Crater and paving the way for future missions that could bring Martian samples back to Earth for detailed analysis.

SOURCES

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (California Institute of Technology), NASA’s Perseverance Fords an Ancient River to Reach Science Target

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