Curiosity finds more shiny things on Mars. Ooh, shiny things.

Like it? Share it!

Curiosity finds more shiny things on Mars. Ooh, shiny things.

A couple weeks ago, NASA’s Curiosity rover found a tiny shiny metal object on Mars that was assumed to just be a screw or a piece of chaff from the lander. Now, with more shiny particles showing up in the Martian soil, Curiosity has been scooping up these bits and bobs for further analysis, but NASA does seem to think they’re something native to the planet.

“Confidence for going ahead with the third scooping was based on new assessment that other bright particles in the area are native Martian material,” NASA said in a statement. “One factor in that consideration is seeing some bright particles embedded in clods of Martian soil.”

The first sample taken on Oct. 7 found a shiny object that they determined was a piece of the rover. During the second scooping on Oct. 12, more bright objects were found in a hole made by the scooping, leading researchers to believe this is something native to mars.

“At that point when they first saw the bright particles in the hole created by the second scoop they weren’t sure what they were,” NASA spokesman, Guy Webster, told ABCNews.com.

Via