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                           Astronomy Picture of the Day   
      
       Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our   
         fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation   
                       written by a professional astronomer.   
      
                                   2022 March 9   
      
                           A Flower-Shaped Rock on Mars   
                       Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS   
      
      Explanation: It is one of the more unusual rocks yet found on Mars.   
      Smaller than a penny, the rock has several appendages that make it   
      look, to some, like a flower. Although it would be a major discovery if   
      the rock was truly a fossilized ancient Martian flower, there are less   
      spectacular -- and currently preferred -- explanations for its unusual   
      structure. One theory that has emerged is that the rock is a type of   
      concretion created by minerals deposited by water in cracks or   
      divisions in existing rock. These concretions can be compacted   
      together, can be harder and denser than surrounding rock, and can   
      remain even after the surrounding rock erodes away. The flower   
      structure may also be caused by crystal clusters. The small rock, named   
      Blackthorn Salt, has similarities to previously imaged Martian pebbles.   
      The featured image was taken by the Curiosity rover on Mars in late   
      February. Scientists will continue to study data and images taken of   
      this -- and similar -- surprising Martian rocks.   
      
                        Review: Last Year in Space Pictures   
                   Tomorrow's picture: the toucan's star cluster   
        __________________________________________________________________   
      
          Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)   
               NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.   
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                         A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC   
                                & Michigan Tech. U.   
      
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