Perseverance Spots ‘Sculpted’ 31‑inch Rock in Jezero — Could Be an Iron‑Nickel Meteorite

NASA’s Perseverance rover has identified an unusually shaped rock on the floor of Jezero Crater that stands out sharply from the surrounding terrain. The object, roughly 31 inches (about 79 cm) across and now nicknamed Phippsaksla, was selected for study because it towers above the lower, fractured stones nearby and appears compositionally different from local bedrock.

What scientists observed

Researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory say preliminary SuperCam measurements show chemical signatures consistent with iron‑nickel meteorites — types of space rocks that form in the metallic cores of large asteroids. SuperCam combines a camera, laser and spectrometers to measure how rocks respond to light and a focused laser pulse, returning data that help identify elemental and mineral makeup.

Why this matters

If confirmed as an iron‑nickel meteorite, Phippsaksla would be the first such find recorded by Perseverance within Jezero, adding the rover to the roster of missions that have studied metallic meteorites on Mars. Other rovers — Curiosity, Opportunity and Spirit — previously documented iron‑nickel meteorites such as the "Lebanon" (2014) and "Cacao" (2023) in Gale Crater, roughly 2,300 miles (about 3,700 km) away.

Scientists say it’s somewhat surprising that Perseverance had not already observed iron‑nickel meteorites in Jezero given the crater’s age and the number of smaller impact sites that should have allowed meteorites to land across the floor and rim over time.

Connection to broader mission goals

Beyond cataloguing intriguing rocks, Perseverance and SuperCam are searching for chemical evidence that could relate to ancient life on Mars. Earlier this year, Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy and mission scientists highlighted a sample collected from an ancient dry riverbed in Jezero that contains potential biosignatures. As Texas A&M geologist Dr. Michael Tice explained, some of the chemistry observed in those rocks would require either high temperatures or biological processes, and the team has not seen evidence that high‑temperature alteration occurred at that site.

More analysis is needed to confirm Phippsaksla’s origin. The team will continue to examine SuperCam data and may plan follow‑up observations to verify an iron‑nickel composition and determine whether the rock is truly meteoritic. If confirmed, Perseverance would join other Mars rovers that have investigated fragments of space rocks on the planet’s surface.