NASA’s Perseverance rover found an unusual 80-cm rock on September 19, 2025, near Jezero Crater on Mars. The rock, named Phippsaksla, shows a high iron-nickel concentration, suggesting it formed elsewhere in the solar system and may be an ancient meteorite.

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* Perseverance finds a strange 80-cm boulder at Vernodden site

* Rock named Phippsaksla by the NASA team

* Image captured with Left Mastcam-Z on Sept 19, 2025

* Shape and size differ from nearby Martian rocks

* SuperCam detects high iron and nickel levels

* Iron-nickel rare in native Martian crust

* Signature points to meteorite origin

* Rock likely fell on Mars long ago

* Region mostly flat, fragmented bedrock

* NASA continues investigation to confirm meteorite status