Bizarre Martian 'book' spotted by NASA's Curiosity rover

The so-called Martian 'book' looks like it's half read. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

NASA's Curiosity rover snapped an intriguing picture of a tiny Martian rock that looks surprisingly like a fossilized book on the surface of the Red Planet. 

The rover captured the image of the peculiar book-like rock on April 15 — the 3,800th Martian day, or sol, of its mission — using the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on the end of its robotic arm, according to NASA. The red rock looks like two halves of an open book with a single page that has frozen halfway through being turned.

The rock may look somewhat like a book, but it is much smaller. The fossilized pageturner is actually just 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) across, according to NASA.

Related: NASA's Perseverance rover loses its hitchhiking 'pet rock' after more than a year together on Mars

"Rocks with unusual shapes are common on Mars," NASA representatives wrote. The strangely shaped rocks are made from minerals that were left behind by ancient water. These minerals would once have been buried beneath softer sediments, but billions of years of erosion by wind have blown away everything else, they added.

In February 2022, Curiosity spotted a branched "mineral flower" that was around 0.4 inch (1 cm) wide. And on Feb. 16, the rover photographed rocks imprinted with tiny ripples, or waves, left behind from an ancient lake.

Scientists have also seen larger-scale shapes carved out by ancient water on the Red Planet — including a large rock formation that looks just like a teddy bear's face and another that's a dead ringer for the frizzy-haired Muppet Beaker.

Curiosity has also caught a few images that are more stunning than perplexing. On Feb. 2, the rover captured the first clear images of "sun rays" on Mars, which occur when sunlight shines through gaps in the clouds during sunsets or sunrises when the sun is below the horizon. 

Harry Baker
Senior Staff Writer

Harry is a U.K.-based senior staff writer at Live Science. He studied marine biology at the University of Exeter before training to become a journalist. He covers a wide range of topics including space exploration, planetary science, space weather, climate change, animal behavior, evolution and paleontology. His feature on the upcoming solar maximum was shortlisted in the "top scoop" category at the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) Awards for Excellence in 2023. 

  • Giovani
    Strange shapes in the Martian terrain are a common sight, and always upon viewing the latest images I spot what looks vaguely like earthly forms.
    My belief has always been that Mars was quite different 66 million years ago. I see a solar system pummeled in completeness. Earth experienced a planet-wide catastrophe changing forever the environment but remaining alive while the other planets such as Mars was shattered.
    I will not dismiss the theory that even Venus was in another orbit at the time. Saturn gained rings though the current time element is stated as more like 100 MYA. Our solar system was rearranged and what we see today is more like what is left.
    In short, the scars of many millions of years ago is evident all around us and accepted as a natural result of earthly evolution when the degradation wrought by cosmic circumstances remains.
    This is what is left, not all there always was.
    Reply
  • Sébastien
    I know I have a formation-memory of being on Mars - suffering; how quite does revival from death-by-its-conditions ("Conditute"(?))
    Reply
  • Giovani
    Sébastien said:
    I know I have a formation-memory of being on Mars - suffering; how quite does revival from death-by-its-conditions ("Conditute"(?))
    This is relevant dialog. It could be a natural impression of a distant and imprinted collective memory originating from actually existing upon Mars.
    Just an interesting observation; perhaps the biblical account of Noah and all that transpired was actually the journey from Mars to earth containing all genetic information to restart a biome on this sister planet.
    Farfetched? maybe not entirely.
    Reply
  • Sébastien
    Giovani said:
    This is relevant dialog. It could be a natural impression of a distant and imprinted collective memory originating from actually existing upon Mars.
    Just an interesting observation; perhaps the biblical account of Noah and all that transpired was actually the journey from Mars to earth containing all genetic information to restart a biome on this sister planet.
    Farfetched? maybe not entirely.
    I am gladly for Digital Mail as I am quite unnerved* (From innerved) (Torn from* (From form) the possibility of innervation (And I do not like to communicate like such, I mulch add); but you are quite correctly in-stating: "I am not mistaken: there is life before "God" but not: "Gid" and his preferred-name: "Zeuz" and an unfortunate-other: ((Me twelve------yo)?): but his Odinn didn't greate the universe, neither!! :|)
    Reply