Martian Blueberries

Share with Your Friends

Martian Blueberries

In the year 2004, NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover ‘Opportunity’ found several small shells on the planet, informally named the Martian Blueberry, which resembles a similar formation in the Kutch region of India.

According to researchers from the Planetary Science Division of Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, Martian blueberries and blueberries in India share similar characteristics.

Blueberries found on Mars are called ‘ Martian blueberries’.

Key Points:

  • Opportunity’s spectrometers studied and noted they were made of iron oxide compounds called Hematite. This caused much excitement, as the presence of Hematite suggests that there was water present on surface of Mars.
  • In the year 2004, NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover ‘Opportunity’ found several small shells on the planet, informally named the Martian Blueberry.
  • The widely accepted formation process of Hematite concretion is precipitation from aqueous fluids. Hematite is known to form in oxidizing environments hence, it can be inferred that water must have played a deciding role in the formation of Grey Hematite on Mars.
  • It is not possible to estimate the exact time in relation to the age of ‘Blueberries’ on Mars. It is believed that about 3 billion years ago, water from the rocks of Mars became extinct.
  • A study conducted by NASA’s ‘Perseverance Rover’ in 2020 will help in finding signs of life and other organic compounds, which may help to present a detailed picture of the history of Mars.

Jhuran Formation:

  • The team is studying the Jhuran Formation in Gujarat which is 145 to 201 million years old.
  • The Jhuran Formation is characterized by conspicuous black shales alternating with thin to thick bedded siltstone and sandstone.
  • Hematite concretions in the KUTCH area have similar morphology – spherical, often doublet and triplet – and similar mineralogy – a mixture of Hematite and goethite.
  • It has been also argued that the transformation from the wet and humid to dry and arid environment on Mars is similar to the history of Kutch.
  • Hence, the Kutch area of Gujarat could also be a potential testing site for carrying out future Mars exploration studies on Earth.

Source – Indian Express

Download Our App

More Current Affairs

Was this article helpful?
YesNo

Leave a Comment

Click to Join Our Current Affairs WhatsApp Group

Join Our Whatsapp Group For Daily, Weekly, Monthly Current Affairs Compilation & Daily Mains Answer Writing Test & Current Affairs MCQ

In Our Current Affairs WhatsApp Group you will get daily Mains Answer Writing Question PDF and Word File, Daily Current Affairs PDF and So Much More in Free So Join Now

Register For Latest Notification

Register Yourself For Latest Current Affairs

May 2023
M T W T F S S
« Apr    
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  

Mains Answer Writing Practice

Recent Current Affairs (English)

Current Affairs (हिन्दी)

Subscribe Our Youtube Channel

Register now

Get Free Counselling Session with mentor

Download App

Get Youth Pathshala App For Free

Hi, there

Welcome to Youth Destination IAS

We have a perfect gift For you:
Open Access to the Youth Destination Library

THANK YOU