Why all the hunks of metal? mars

[Manok101]

Is it all from exploded meteors comets and what not? Every, or a good many of the ground pics I see mars is littered with thousands of chunks of metal, and I've always been curious as to what they came from?

[FarSide]

I think Mars is a planet that is rich in iron, that probably explains the metal, or metal looking rocks, and also explains Mars' red surface.

[brucen]

I don't think that the pictures actually show chunks of metal although they certainly look like they do. The NASA website says that they adjust the colours during processing to help with the analysis of them - "This processing, called "white balancing," is useful for scientists to be able to recognize and distinguish rocks by color in more familiar lighting" What you see is not always what you get!

[Shibby]

They are rocks! Mostly volcanic in origin, I believe, so basalt, which is dark in colour.

[todd8137]

Nice big rocks ,gret subject be interesting what every one else thinks

Pat

[sologuitarist61]

They are rocks! Mostly volcanic in origin, I believe, so basalt, which is dark in colour.

That is what I thought and wondered where Manok had gotten the idea that they were metal.

[Naemeth]

It's believed Mars has an iron or metal based core, and much of it is covered in red dust (iron oxide), so metals certainly exist on Mars, however most images I've seen show rocks, mostly basalt, not lumps of metal..

[crashtestdummy]

we seem to have put plenty of hunks of metal on mars in the last 10 years,its getting on for a car park now

[Adrian]

Haematite balls found by Opportunity on Mars: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martian_spherules

[sologuitarist61]

we seem to have put plenty of hunks of metal on mars in the last 10 years,its getting on for a car park now