NASA’s Perseverance rover is on a gem hunt
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS
The Perseverance rover has uncovered a precious gemstone among the rocky terrain of Mars. These intriguing gemstone grains are primarily composed of corundum and may be classified as rubies or sapphires based on their specific metal content.
Ann Orilla and her team at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico first detected traces of corundum using the Perseverance rover’s SuperCam instrument while analyzing a rock formation known as Hampden River. The SuperCam employs various techniques—including two lasers—to ignite the rock’s surface and capture emitted light with dual cameras, confirming the presence of corundum grains matching laboratory ruby measurements.
As the rover traversed Jezero Crater, leaving Hampden River behind, researchers also discovered a pebble named Coffee Cove, which exhibited similar corundum characteristics. Another rock, Smith Harbor, displayed the same mineral presence. Orilla shared these exciting findings at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference held in Texas on March 16.
These gemstones are unprecedented on Mars and likely did not form as they do on Earth. “Corundum on Earth is typically associated with tectonic activity. This requires specific conditions—low silica and high aluminum content,” Orilla explained. Mars lacks plate tectonics, making the discovery of corundum there particularly surprising. Researchers suggest that Martian corundum likely formed from a meteorite impact that heated and compressed the surrounding dust.
Alan Treiman, a conference participant not affiliated with Orilla’s team, remarked, “I was quite surprised. However, there are aluminum-rich formations on Earth resulting from meteorite impacts.” The findings definitely sparked curiosity and further inquiries.
These corundum grains are extremely tiny—less than 0.2 millimeters in diameter—making visual identification of their type, ruby or sapphire, impossible through images alone.
“I wish I could collect one of these grains for analysis to determine if it’s red. It’s somewhat disappointing to only see this white pebble,” Orilla expressed. Nevertheless, shining the SuperCam laser on it revealed a brilliant glow.
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Source: www.newscientist.com
