Thursday, November 1, 2012

Curiosity Rover Makes First X-Ray Analysis of Martian Soil

Curiosity Rover Makes First X-Ray Analysis of Martian Soil:
Across The Universe
This graphic shows results of the first analysis of Martian soil by the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) experiment on NASA’s Curiosity rover. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Ames
Soil scooped up by the Curiosity rover has been analyzed by instruments on board similar to what would be used by geologists on Earth in a laboratory, and the results show the mineralogy of Martian soil is fairly Earth-like, with evidence of past interaction with water. The minerals were identified in the first sample of Martian soil put inside the Chemistry and Mineralogy instrument (CheMin), which were zapped with X-Rays to provide accurate identification of minerals.
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© nancy for Universe Today, 2012. | Permalink | 5 comments |
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