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Curiosity Mars Rover Checks Odd-looking Iron Meteorite
Laser-zapping of a globular, golf-ball-size object on Mars by NASA's Curiosity rover confirms that it is an iron-nickel meteorite fallen from the Red Planet's sky.
The dark, golf-ball-size object is a nickel-iron meteorite. 
Iron-nickel meteorites are a common class of space rocks found on Earth, and previous examples have been seen on Mars, but this one, called "Egg Rock," is the first on Mars examined with a laser-firing spectrometer.
ChemCam found iron, nickel and phosphorus, plus lesser ingredients, in concentrations still being determined through analysis of the spectrum of light produced from dozens of laser pulses at nine spots on the object.
Egg Rock may have fallen to the surface of Mars many millions of years ago. (NASA)
NOVEMBER 3, 2016
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