NASA’s curiosity rovers have taken images of coral-like and flower-shaped rocks on Mars, estimated to be billions of years old.
On July 24, the Wanderer sent an image of wind rock about an inch wide, similar to a coral reef.
NASA once said that the rover took many images of such rocks. The space agency notes that when liquid water still exists on the earth, it brings dissolved minerals into cracks in the rock. When the liquid drys, it deposits hardened minerals.
“This common process, widely seen on Earth, produces wonderful shapes on Mars, including flower-shaped rocks,” the agency said in a statement.
NASA notes that the “unique shape” seen today is after billions of years of sandblasting.
On July 24, Curiosity Wanderers watched this wind layer and coral-shaped rock (NASA/JPL-CALTECH/LANL/CNES/CNES/CNES/CNRS/IRAP/IAS/LPG)
On July 24, a rock of unique shape nicknamed “Papuso” was also discovered. Similarly, another rock that is shaped like a flower was discovered in 2022.
According to NASA, it is believed that mineral liquids are formed through conduits in the rock.
Wanderers took images of flower-like shapes on February 24, 2022 (NASA)
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory built the rovers who led the Mars mission.
After traveling for eight months and 352 million miles, the Wanderer landed on Mars in 2012. NASA pointed out that it was the largest and most capable rover to Mars at that time.
The rover has explored the Earth for 22 miles and has previously discovered chemical and mineral evidence of the previously habitable environment.
According to NASA, the rover continues to collect samples and data from Mars when it may host microbial life span.
One inch of rock was found in the windy crater that hit the basin. In June, Curiosity took an image of a geological structure called a “spider web” because its ridge pattern also suggests that Mars’ previous water has hardened.
On July 26, 2025, the view of this trail was captured until July 26, 2025 as rovers simultaneously passed data to the Mars Orbiter (NASA/JPL-CALTECH).
“The collected images and data have raised new questions about how the Martian surface changed billions of years ago,” NASA said in a statement in June.
“The Red Planet used to have rivers, lakes and possibly oceans. Although scientists are not sure why, its water eventually dries and the planet becomes the cold desert today,” the agency added. “It is worth noting that established patterns show that even during the drying process, the water still exists underground, resulting in the change today.”
“The sandblasting of Martian winds destroys the rocks, but has no minerals, revealing the internal network of resistance to the ridge network,” the agency said.
