Mars Soil Similar To Volcanic Sand On Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, NASA Curiosity Rover Finds

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Scientists say the Martian soil at the rover Curiosity’s landing site contains minerals similar to what’s found on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano.

The finding released Tuesday is the latest step in trying to better understand whether the environment could have been hospitable to microbial life.

Curiosity recently ingested its first soil sample and used one of its instruments to tease out the minerals present. An analysis revealed it contained feldspar and olivine, minerals typically associated with volcanic eruptions. Mission scientists say the Martian soil is similar to volcanic soil on the flanks of Mauna Kea.

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This handout photo provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS, taken Oct. 15, 2012, shows part of the small pit or bite created when NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity collected its second scoop of Martian soil at a sandy patch called “Rocknest.” The bright particle near the center of this image, and similar ones elsewhere in the pit, prompted concern because a small, light-toned shred of debris from the spacecraft had been observed previously nearby. However, the mission’s science team assessed the bright part

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Odd Mars ‘Flower’ And Snakelike Formation Spied By NASA’s Curiosity Rover (PHOTOS)

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New photos of Mars from NASA’s Curiosity rover have sparked a buzz of discussion over an odd formation that some have dubbed a “flower” embedded in a Martian rock. The rover has also found a snake-like rock formation winding across the Red Planet’s surface.

The so-called Mars “flower” photo was snapped on Dec. 19 by the microscope-like Mars Hand Lens Imager at the end of Curiosity’s robotic arm. At the lower left of the image is a strange, apparently transparent formation that some Internet forum users on the website claimed looked much like a flower, according to NBCNews.com’s photoblog.

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Mysterious Mars Photo: Curiosity Camera May Have Captured ‘Serendipitous’ Moment

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NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity made a successful landing early Monday morning, marking the end of a nine-month, 354-million-mile journey. Black-and-white photographs offered both scientists and the eager public glimpses of the Red Planet. One particularly mysterious photo from Mars is garnering attention and—if the theory about it is verified, it would be a one-of-a-kind shot.

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Mars Rover Landing: Curiosity Lands Early Monday Morning (RECAP)

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NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity has touched down on the surface of the Red Planet, completing a 154-million-mile journey, and marking the beginning of a new era in planetary exploration.

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