The sand patch is downhill from a cluster of dark rocks.
NASA determined the patch to be the location for the first use of the
scoop on the arm of the Mars Curiosity rover.[1] The Rocknest patch is about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) by 5 m (16 ft).
Discovery and material analysis
On October 7, 2012, a mysterious bright object (
image), discovered in the sand at Rocknest, drew scientific interest. Several close-up pictures (
close-up 1) (
close-up 2) were taken of the object and preliminary interpretations by scientists suggest the object to be "debris from the spacecraft".[2][3][4] Nonetheless, further images in the nearby sand have detected other bright particles (
image) (
close-up 1). These newly discovered objects are presently thought to be native Martian material.[2][5][6]
On September 26, 2013, NASA scientists reported the
MarsCuriosity rover detected "abundant, easily accessible"
water (1.5 to 3 weight percent) in
soil samples at the Rocknest region of
Aeolis Palus in
Gale Crater.[8][9][10][11][12][13] In addition, NASA reported the rover found two principal soil types: a fine-grained
mafic type and a locally derived, coarse-grained
felsic type.[10][12][14] The mafic type, similar to other
martian soils and
martian dust, was associated with hydration of the amorphous phases of the soil.[14] Also,
perchlorates, the presence of which may make detection of life-related
organic molecules difficult, were found at the Curiosity rover landing site (and earlier at the more polar site of the
Phoenix lander) suggesting a "global distribution of these salts".[13] NASA also reported that
Jake M rock, a rock encountered by Curiosity on the way to
Glenelg, was a
mugearite and very similar to terrestrial mugearite rocks.[15]
Images
Curiosity rover self-portrait on the planet Mars at Rocknest (October 31, 2012).
Curiosity rover wheel marks in the sand patch at the "Rocknest" site (October 3, 2012).
Sand on Mars – scoffmark made by Curiosity (
MAHLI, October 4, 2012).
First use of the Curiosity rover
scooper as it sifts a load of sand at "Rocknest" (October 7, 2012).
Curiosity finds a "bright object" in the sand at Rocknest (October 7, 2012)[4] (
close-up).
First use of the Curiosity rover
scooper as it sifts a load of sand at Rocknest (October 7, 2012).
Curiosity's scoop "bite marks" in the sand patch at the Rocknest site (October 15, 2012).
Curiosity rover scoops soil sample onto an observation tray at the Rocknest site (October 16, 2012).
Sand at Rocknest used for the first
X-ray analysis of Martian soil (Curiosity rover, October 30, 2012)[7]
First
X-ray view of Martian soil (Curiosity at Rocknest, October 17, 2012).[7]
Curiosity's view of the Rocknest area – South is center/North at both ends;
Mount Sharp at SE horizon (somewhat left-of-center);
Glenelg at East (left-of-center); rover tracks at West (right-of-center) (November 16, 2012,
white balanced) (
raw color) (
interactives).