--- title: "NASA Scientists Spot Strangely Shaped Rock in Latest Mars Panorama" description: "NASA released a stunning high-resolution panorama of the Martian surface taken by Perseverance's Mastcam-Z camera. It spotted a strangely shaped rock." date: "2021-02-26" modified: "2021-02-26" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-scientists-spot-strangely-shaped-rock-mars-panorama" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "mars" - "perseverance" - "the digest" --- # NASA Scientists Spot Strangely Shaped Rock in Latest Mars Panorama ![NASA released a stunning high-resolution panorama of the Martian surface taken by Perseverance's Mastcam-Z camera. It spotted a strangely shaped rock.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Eye-Searing Detail NASA is embarking on its next exciting adventure on the Martian surface — and lucky for us, the agency's taking us along for the ride. Earlier this week, NASA released a [stunning high-res panorama]() taken by Perseverance's Mastcam-Z camera and later stitched together by engineers at the agency's Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California. The image shows an incredible amount of detail. It allows you to get an unprecedented look at the surrounding Jezero Crater, a region on Mars that's suspected to be a dried-up ancient river delta. *Suspected.* ## Harbor Seal Rock Among the countless rocks, the scientists spotted a rather strange outcropping. A dark, unusually tall stone stands out in the rocky landscape. Thanks to its aquatic mammal-like shape, the team has already nicknamed it "Harbor Seal Rock," according to Mastcam-Z principal investigator Jim Bell, who spoke during a Thursday webcast, as [quoted by *Space.com*](). ![]() The rock was likely formed over countless years of harsh winds battering down on the crater. ## Setting the Stage The panorama also showed an area near the rover where the dust was blown away by Perseverance's "sky crane," a rocket-powered descent stage that the rover used to [gently glide down to the surface below on February 18](). Other areas just like it showed scarred rocks the scientists believe may the result of volcanic activity — but investigations have yet to begin so they're not quite ready to hazard a guess yet. Luckily, we will soon get an even closer look at Perseverance's surroundings. Once the rover switches to surface-optimized software, a four day process that has already kicked off, Perseverance will enable panoramas that are three times as sharp. **READ MORE:** ['Harbor Seal Rock' on Mars and other new sights intrigue Perseverance rover scientists]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on Perseverance:** *[Scientists Grow Microbes on Actual Mars Rocks]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()