NASA team notes rock "Horneflya" is made up almost entirely of spherules
NASA's Perseverance rover has photographed what it says may be an ancient piece of armour -- a chunk of iron deposited on the surface of Mars, standing out against the ruddy rocks around it. The unusual, volcano-shaped feature, captured on 5th Aug 2025 by the rover's Mastcam-Z camera, has a conical top and a nodular surface texture. Formations like those might be byproducts of volcanic activity, chemical weathering or the precipitation of minerals, scientists suspect. Even if the resemblance preserves nothing more than blind chance and the scrounging motions of erosion, the discovery is a reminder of how weird rock shapes are tantalising clues to Mars's long and storied history of environmental transformations.
Perseverance's 'Helmet Rock' Reveals Spherule Clues to Mars' Watery Past
According to a Space.com report, the Perseverance team has nicknamed the target rock "Horneflya," describing it as being composed almost entirely of small spherical formations known as spherules. David Agle, a spokesperson at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, observed that its significance lies less in its "hat" appearance and more in its unusual makeup. On Earth, comparable spherules sometimes form when groundwater sluices through deposits of sedimentary rock, but scientists warn that Martian ones may result from other, still-undefined geological processes.
Also with zoom lenses, the Mastcam-Z will also aid the team in determining texture near and far, as well as look for the kind of features that a geologist or a field geologist would use in a plan to study a field site on Earth. Other odd rocks that Perseverance has captured in photos in the past include doughnut-shaped meteorites and avocado-like stones. And on occasion, these surprises also trigger pareidolia, the human propensity to perceive familiar shapes in random patterns -- faces in clouds, for example, or helmets on Martian rocks.
Scientists are studying a helmet-shaped rock on Mars, hoping to reconstruct its surroundings over billions of years. Perseverance is traversing the northern rim of Jezero Crater, discovering unusual formations and geological time capsules that reveal Mars' past. Every find gets researchers another step closer to understanding Mars' history and possible life habitats. The helmet-shaped rock reminds us Mars has its surprises.