NASA’s Perseverance rover discovered an unusual black-and-white striped rock on Mars in Jezero Crater. This rock, which scientists have named “Castle of Freya,” has a distinctive texture and appearance that has never been seen on the Red Planet before. The discovery was made in September, using a camera mounted on the rover’s mast. Despite having already left the area, images were taken and analyzed after Perseverance moved on, sparking scientists’ interest in the origin and composition of the rock.

What is Freya Castle?

Castle Freya is about 20 cm in diameter and is believed to have been formed by magmatic or metamorphic processes. NASA scientists suggest that the streaks may be caused by crystallization of magma or changes in rocks due to high temperatures and pressure. Since the rock is different from the bedrock, it probably originated from another location and rolled to its current position in the crater.

Search for more clues

NASA representatives can’t wait to learn more about Freya Castle, hoping that as the rover continues its journey uphill, it will come across more rocks like this. Perseverance is currently navigating the slopes of Crater Lake, which it first reached in February 2021. The rover’s Crater Rim campaign marks its fifth major mission on Mars, focusing on detecting signs of ancient life and learning about the planet’s early geological history.

Previous discoveries of Perseverance

During its time on Mars, Perseverance made several fascinating discoveries, from ancient lake sediments to other unusual rock formations. Art Thompson, Perseverance project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, expressed excitement about what the team might find as the rover continues to explore new areas.