Curiosity Finds Large Iron Meteorite On Mars

[burntheships]

Large Iron Meteorite On Mars

On Curiosity's 640th day (or sol) on Mars, as it continued its long drive to the base of Aeolis Mons (a.k.a. Mount Sharp), the robot stumbled across a fairly hefty meteorite. Shown here, the 2-meter-wide iron space rock can be seen embedded in the ruddy regolith.

The May 25 find adds to the puzzling reasons as to why the majority of meteorites found on the Martian surface are iron rich. On Earth, though fairly common, iron-rich meteorites are outnumbered by stony ones, leading scientists to believe that large iron-rich specimens may be more resistant to Martian erosion processes than stony space rocks.

http://news.discovery.com/space/asteroids-meteors-meteorites/curiosity-studies-large-iron-meteorite-on-mars-140715.htm
http://news.discovery.com/space/asteroids-meteors-meteorites/curiosity-studies-large-iron-meteorite-on-mars-140715.htm

[Ellirium113]

Now how does it not have ANY rust? Most iron deposits on the surface I would think should have a significant amount as there are both oxygen and moisture content. 

[ArMaP]

Now how does it not have ANY rust? Most iron deposits on the surface I would think should have a significant amount as there are both oxygen and moisture content. 

I don't think there's any moisture on the Mars atmosphere close to the ground.

Also, maybe the meteorite got a protective coating resulting from the heat during the entry in the atmosphere, I use that method to prevent metal from oxidising.

[Amaterasu]

Or maybe it's of the quality of that Indian pillar that does not rust...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_pillar_of_Delhi

[WarToad]

Now how does it not have ANY rust? Most iron deposits on the surface I would think should have a significant amount as there are both oxygen and moisture content. 

Watching "Meteorite Men" they're always finding iron ore meteorites and they're almost always rust free and dark colored.

[Topend2]

Or maybe it's just a resent fall.

[The Seeker]

I tend to agree with Armap; low moisture/oxygen content plus enough heat generated by the thin martian atmosphere to hard anodize the outer surface... a lot of the meteor fragments found here are dark due to this natural annealing process as they cut atmosphere...


seeker