The rover has discovered hundreds of “spider eggs” on the Red Planet. What are they really?

In fact, the Perseverance research rover came across Mars on a strange stone made up of hundreds of tiny spheres that resemble spider eggs. Scientists have no idea where it came from. But they hope that studying it will aid in the search for fossilized remains of microbial life on the Red Planet.

The rover discovered a stone on the slope of Witch Hazel Hill in the Jezero Crater. The stone was slightly dusted with red sand and appeared to be “out of place,” noted the researchers of the Perseverance mission. They named the mysterious find St. Pauls Bay. In their opinion, it is likely a “floating stone”: it was found not where it formed. As NASA pointed out, there are currently no contextual clues that could explain its texture.

Researchers are extremely interested in what forces caused the stone to move from its original location. This movement could shed light on the geology of Mars, the publication reported. Live Science .

The team has proposed several theories about the origin of the stone. It may have formed after a meteorite collided with Mars. The stone could have partially evaporated, resulting in the formation of small granules that were photographed by the rover.

As suggested in NASA The stone could also have rolled down from Witch Hazel Hill, more precisely, it could have been pushed out from one of its darker layers, which scientists have detected from orbit. Further study of the hill will help researchers determine what these darker layers are made of. If they are compositionally similar to the stone, it could indicate volcanic activity, a meteorite impact, the presence of groundwater in the distant past, or something entirely different, the researchers wrote in their statement.

St. Pauls Bay stones provide scientists with important clues about how the Red Planet has changed over time. Their formation and movement reveal complex interactions between water, rock, and the geological forces of Mars.

If there were once groundwater on Witch Hazel Hill, some rock samples collected by Perseverance may contain fossilized microbial remains. Mission The NASA Mars Sample Return, scheduled for the 2030s, will collect these samples and deliver them to Earth for further study.