Mars Perseverance Sol 1562: WATSON Camera

Extant organics similar to Lichen and desert varnish 

Mars Perseverance Sol 1562: WATSON Camera

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its SHERLOC WATSON camera, located on the turret at the end of the rover's robotic arm.

This image was acquired on July 12, 2025 (Sol 1562) at the local mean solar time of 15:53:57.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Mars Perseverance Sol 1562: WATSON Camera

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its SHERLOC WATSON camera, located on the turret at the end of the rover's robotic arm.

This image was acquired on July 12, 2025 (Sol 1562) at the local mean solar time of 15:56:03.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Mars Perseverance Sol 1562: WATSON Camera

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its SHERLOC WATSON camera, located on the turret at the end of the rover's robotic arm.

This image was acquired on July 12, 2025 (Sol 1562) at the local mean solar time of 19:55:55.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Mars Perseverance Sol 1562: WATSON Camera

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its SHERLOC WATSON camera, located on the turret at the end of the rover's robotic arm.

This image was acquired on July 13, 2025 (Sol 1562) at the local mean solar time of 20:36:36.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Mars Perseverance Sol 1562: WATSON Camera

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its SHERLOC WATSON camera, located on the turret at the end of the rover's robotic arm.

This image was acquired on July 13, 2025 (Sol 1562) at the local mean solar time of 20:37:11.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Mars Perseverance Sol 1538: WATSON Camera

 desert varnish on rocks broken up by Perseverance 

Mars Perseverance Sol 1538: WATSON Camera

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its SHERLOC WATSON camera, located on the turret at the end of the rover's robotic arm.

This image was acquired on June 18, 2025 (Sol 1538) at the local mean solar time of 13:20:39.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Biological and organic constituents of desert varnish: Review and new hypotheses https://www.researchgate.net/publication/253348135_Biological_and_organic_constituents_of_desert_varnish_Review_and_new_hypotheses

https://www.nps.gov/articles/desertvarnish.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_varnish

OCCURRENCE OF ROCK VARNISH AT YUNGAY, ATACAMA DESERT, CHILE. https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2007/pdf/2251.pdf

Evidence of a microbial community associated with rock varnish at Yungay, Atacama Desert, Chile https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2007JG000677

Life on the Edge: Microbes in Rock Varnish https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1570605

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanobacteria

Mars Perseverance Sol 1442: SuperCam Camera stitch

Mars Perseverance Sol 1442: SuperCam Camera stitch

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired these images using the SuperCam Remote Micro-Imager, located at the top of the rover's mast.

Images acquired on March 11, 2025 (Sol 1442) at the local mean solar time of 10:45:46 to 11:06:22.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP

Assembled by Barley Culiner with Microsoft ICE

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Biological and organic constituents of desert varnish: Review and new hypotheses https://www.researchgate.net/publication/253348135_Biological_and_organic_constituents_of_desert_varnish_Review_and_new_hypotheses

https://www.nps.gov/articles/desertvarnish.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_varnish

OCCURRENCE OF ROCK VARNISH AT YUNGAY, ATACAMA DESERT, CHILE. https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2007/pdf/2251.pdf

Evidence of a microbial community associated with rock varnish at Yungay, Atacama Desert, Chile https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2007JG000677

Life on the Edge: Microbes in Rock Varnish https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1570605

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanobacteria

Martian blueberries

https://blogbarley.blogspot.com/2023/05/cyanophyta.html

Cyanobacterial morphology https://blogbarley.blogspot.com/2023/10/blog-post_13.html

Mars Perseverance Sol 1443: Right Mastcam-Z Camera stitch

 desert varnish and a rock made of martian blueberries

Mars Perseverance Sol 1443: Right Mastcam-Z Camera stitch

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired these images using its Right Mastcam-Z camera. Mastcam-Z is a pair of cameras located high on the rover's mast.

Images acquired on March 12, 2025 (Sol 1443) at the local mean solar time of 12:37:42 to 12:37:44.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

Assembled by Barley Culiner with Microsoft ICE

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Biological and organic constituents of desert varnish: Review and new hypotheses https://www.researchgate.net/publication/253348135_Biological_and_organic_constituents_of_desert_varnish_Review_and_new_hypotheses

https://www.nps.gov/articles/desertvarnish.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_varnish

OCCURRENCE OF ROCK VARNISH AT YUNGAY, ATACAMA DESERT, CHILE. https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2007/pdf/2251.pdf

Evidence of a microbial community associated with rock varnish at Yungay, Atacama Desert, Chile https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2007JG000677

Life on the Edge: Microbes in Rock Varnish https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1570605

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanobacteria

Martian blueberries

https://blogbarley.blogspot.com/2023/05/cyanophyta.html

Cyanobacterial morphology https://blogbarley.blogspot.com/2023/10/blog-post_13.html

Mars Perseverance Sol 1433: Right & Left Mastcam-Z Camera stitch

A possible cyanobacteria type colony, desert varnish

Mars Perseverance Sol 1433: Right & Left Mastcam-Z Camera stitch

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired these image using its Right & Left Mastcam-Z camera. Mastcam-Z is a pair of cameras located high on the rover's mast.

Images acquired on March 2, 2025 (Sol 1433) at the local mean solar time of 13:11:22 to 13:11:28.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

Assembled by Barley Culiner with Microsoft ICE

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Biological and organic constituents of desert varnish: Review and new hypotheses https://www.researchgate.net/publication/253348135_Biological_and_organic_constituents_of_desert_varnish_Review_and_new_hypotheses

https://www.nps.gov/articles/desertvarnish.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_varnish

OCCURRENCE OF ROCK VARNISH AT YUNGAY, ATACAMA DESERT, CHILE. https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2007/pdf/2251.pdf

Evidence of a microbial community associated with rock varnish at Yungay, Atacama Desert, Chile https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2007JG000677

Life on the Edge: Microbes in Rock Varnish https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1570605

Mars Perseverance Sol 1381: Right Mastcam-Z Camera

likely desert varnish colony

cyanobacteria or a similar desert varnish microorganism

Mars Perseverance Sol 1381: Right Mastcam-Z Camera

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its Right Mastcam-Z camera. Mastcam-Z is a pair of cameras located high on the rover's mast.

This image was acquired on Jan. 7, 2025 (Sol 1381) at the local mean solar time of 11:29:32.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

Mars Perseverance Sol 1381: Right Mastcam-Z Camera

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its Right Mastcam-Z camera. Mastcam-Z is a pair of cameras located high on the rover's mast.

This image was acquired on Jan. 7, 2025 (Sol 1381) at the local mean solar time of 11:25:05.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

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Biological and organic constituents of desert varnish: Review and new hypotheses https://www.researchgate.net/publication/253348135_Biological_and_organic_constituents_of_desert_varnish_Review_and_new_hypotheses

https://www.nps.gov/articles/desertvarnish.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_varnish

OCCURRENCE OF ROCK VARNISH AT YUNGAY, ATACAMA DESERT, CHILE. https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2007/pdf/2251.pdf

Evidence of a microbial community associated with rock varnish at Yungay, Atacama Desert, Chile https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2007JG000677

Life on the Edge: Microbes in Rock Varnish https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1570605

Mars Perseverance Sol 1277: WATSON Camera

desert varnish and glass (similar to moldavite)

Mars Perseverance Sol 1277: WATSON Camera

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its SHERLOC WATSON camera, located on the turret at the end of the rover's robotic arm.

This image was acquired on Sept. 22, 2024 (Sol 1277) at the local mean solar time of 15:14:16.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Sol 4295: Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) desert varnish

desert varnish

Sol 4295: Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)

This image was taken by MAHLI onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4295 (2024-09-05T09:25:14.000Z)

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Sol 4295: Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)

This image was taken by MAHLI onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4295 (2024-09-05T14:09:18.000Z)

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Sol 4295: Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)

This image was taken by MAHLI onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4295 (2024-09-05T14:25:55.000Z)

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

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https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2007/pdf/2251.pdf

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2007JG000677

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_varnish

Sol 4253: Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)

looks similar to desert varnish

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_varnish

https://www.nps.gov/articles/desertvarnish.htm

"The varnish is primarily composed of particles of clay along with oxides of iron and manganese. There is also a host of trace elements and almost always some organic matter."

Sol 4253: Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)

This image was taken by MAHLI onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4253 (2024-07-24T03:10:00.000Z)

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

 Sol 4253: Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)

This image was taken by MAHLI onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4253 (2024-07-24T03:15:31.000Z)

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS