NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover captures "Skull Hill," a dark-toned float rock. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU via SWNS)
By Dean Murray
Scientists are puzzled by a rock on they've called "Skull Hill" and say originated from elsewhere.
spotted the unusual specimen - featuring an eye socket-like shape - earlier this month.
The exploration vehicle was exploring an area called ‘Witch Hazel Hill’ on the Jezero crater rim when it made the discovery.
Theories on its origin include it smashing into the Red Planet as a meteorite or being carried from elsewhere on the Mars surface.
The Red Planet. (ESA/MPS et al. via SWNS)
The space agency said: "The rover has encountered a variety of neat rocks that may have originated from elsewhere and been transported to their current location, also known as float.
"This float rock uniquely contrasts the surrounding light-toned outcrop with its dark tone and angular surface, and it features a few pits in the rock. If you look closely, you might even spot spherules within the surrounding regolith!
"We’ve found a few of these dark-toned floats in the Port Anson region, and the team is working to better understand where these rocks came from and how they got here."
NASA says Skull Hill’s dark color is reminiscent of meteorites found in Gale crater by the Curiosity rover, but analysis of its chemical composition may identify it as igneous rock eroded from a nearby outcrop or ejected from an impact crater.