--- title: "Scientists Attempt to Explain Mars Rock With Hole Straight Through It" description: "NASA's Perseverance Mars rover spotted a mysterious donut-shaped rock in the distance during a June 23 trip across the delta of the planet's Jezero Crater, which scientists believe is an ancient dried-up lake. The object, which appeared roughly 330 feet away from the rover and at least ten inches across, puzzled scientists, who are now […]" date: "2023-07-02" modified: "2023-07-02" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientists-mars-rock-hole-donut" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "Space" tags: - "mars" - "NASA" - "perseverance" - "the digest" --- # Scientists Attempt to Explain Mars Rock With Hole Straight Through It ![Earlier this month, NASA's Perseverance Mars rover spotted a mysterious donut-shaped rock. Experts are divided on what it could be.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Donut Know Earlier this month, NASA's Perseverance Mars rover spotted a mysterious donut-shaped rock in the distance during a trip across the delta of the planet's Jezero Crater, which scientists believe is an ancient dried-up lake. The object, which appeared to be roughly 330 feet from the rover, is at least ten inches across and has a significant hole punched through the middle. The odd rock has puzzled scientists, [*CNN* reports](), who are now attempting to explain how it could have ended up that way on the Red Planet's desolate surface. https://twitter.com/kevinmgill/status/1672328801047687168 ## Nothing Special Experts are divided on the rock's origins. Some argue it's a meteorite that got its shape after blazing through the Martian atmosphere, while others say it's evidence of the [roaring rivers]() believed to have surged across the planet's surface in the distant past. "I can’t say with absolute, 100 percent certainty it’s not a meteorite, but I think it’s highly unlikely," Jim Rice, an assistant research scientist in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, told *CNN*. "The reason I say that is because, this region we’re in, we see a lot of rocks that have these kind of hollowed-out interiors." According to Rice, these kinds of rocks "were brought in by floods by this big river channel, the Neretva Vallis — that’s the channel that brought all the water and the rocks and sediment in there." In short, it may look odd to the unsuspecting eye, but "really, scientifically, it’s not anything special," Rice argued. ## Meteorite Mystery But not everybody agrees with that assessment. Pascal Lee, a senior planetary scientist at the SETI Institute, told *CNN* that the donut may have been a meteorite in which the weaker material in its interior eroded over time. It wouldn't be the first potential meteorite Perseverance has spotted. Just a few weeks into its journey across the Red Planet, the rover [examined and zapped a rock]() that closely resembled a meteorite. Alternatively, it could've been "thrown away from another part of Mars by the impact of a large asteroid," Lee told *CNN*. While the planetary scientist argued that Perseverance should take the time to have a closer look at the rock, the team operating the rover hasn't announced any plans to do so. And that's a shame, because if they don't, there's a good chance we'll never find out more about the mysterious rock's origins. **More on Perseverance:** *[NASA Gets Amazing New Results Generating Oxygen on Mars]()* ## 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]()