NASA’s Perseverance rover has spotted a strange skull-shaped rock on Mars, puzzling scientists about its origin. Dubbed “Skull Hill,” the dark, pitted formation was found on April 11 along the Jezero crater rim using the rover’s Mastcam-Z camera.
Standing out starkly from its dusty, light-colored surroundings, Skull Hill features angular edges and tiny pits. “This float rock uniquely contrasts the surrounding light-toned outcrop,” NASA said in a statement.
The agency believes the pits may have formed due to erosion or wind scouring. Another theory suggests the rock could be a piece of igneous material ejected by an impact event or eroded from nearby terrain.
NASA also noted Skull Hill’s dark tone resembles meteorites found earlier in Gale crater by the Curiosity rover. “The team is working to better understand where these rocks came from and how they got here,” NASA said.
The discovery adds to ongoing efforts to unravel Mars’ past and its potential to support life. Earlier findings this year showed frozen sand dunes captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and hinted at photosynthetic possibilities beneath surface ice layers.
Mars, though now cold and barren, may have once had a magnetic field until 3.9 billion years ago, possibly providing a hospitable environment for microbial life.