Update: Portions of this blog post have been updated, including language characterizing the “Silver Mountain” sample.
The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover continues to live up to its name, pushing forward in search of ancient Martian secrets. Following a brief period of system verification and remote testing, the operations team is back at full strength, and Perseverance has been hard at work uncovering new geological insights.
The rover recently visited an outcrop called “Mill Brook,” a site surrounded by dusty, fine-grained paver stones. Here, the rover conducted an abrasion experiment at “Steve's Trail,” allowing the remote sensing instruments to capture a before-and-after analysis of the rock surface. SuperCam (SCAM) used its LIBS and VISIR systems to investigate “Bad Weather Pond,” while Mastcam-Z (ZCAM) imaged the entire workspace. These observations provide invaluable data on the composition, texture, and potential alteration of these rocks.
After wrapping up at Mill Brook — including a ZCAM multispectral scan of “Berry Hill” — Perseverance drove 140 meters (about 459 feet) to “Shallow Bay,” a site of immense scientific interest. The rocks here are rich in low-calcium pyroxene (LCP), making them one of the most intriguing sample targets of the mission so far.
The significance of Shallow Bay extends beyond just this one location. The pyroxene-rich nature of the site suggests a potential link to a much more expansive rock unit visible in HiRISE images throughout the region. Given that this may be the only exposure of this unit along the planned traverse, the science team prioritized sampling this outcrop, which offers a window into Mars’ deep past.
The science team was thrilled when it heard Perseverance had successfully cored and sealed a 2.9-centimeter (1.1-inch) rock sample from Shallow Bay, officially named “Silver Mountain.” This marks the rover’s first sample of ancient bedrock from the Jezero crater rim, an important milestone in the mission to uncover the geological history of Jezero Crater and a one-of-a-kind treasure for future Mars Sample Return analyses.
As Perseverance enters the Year of the Snake, it seems fitting that serpentine-bearing rocks have slithered into focus! The tactical team has been highly responsive to the science team’s overwhelming interest in the nearby serpentine-bearing outcrops. These rocks, which may reveal critical clues about past water activity and potential habitability, are now a target for further exploration by the rover.
Between the ancient, pyroxene-rich sample at Silver Mountain and the newfound focus on serpentine-bearing rocks, the rover’s journey through Jezero Crater has never been more exciting. Each step — each scan, each drive, each core sample — brings us closer to understanding Mars’ complex past.
As Perseverance continues to, well, persevere, and as the Perseverance science team embraces the Year of the Snake, I can’t help but marvel at the poetic alignment of science and tradition. Here’s to a year of wisdom, resilience, and groundbreaking discoveries — both on Earth and 225 million kilometers (140 million miles) away!
Stay tuned as Perseverance unravels the next chapter in Mars exploration!
Written by Nicolas Randazzo, Postdoctoral Scientist at University of Alberta
