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NASA's Rover Discovers Rare Corundum Crystals on Mars

3/24/2026

Summary

Story summary

NASA's Perseverance rover identified corundum crystals in Jezero Crater pebbles, potentially rubies or sapphires, the first on Mars.
Ann Ollila of Los Alamos National Laboratory led analysis with the rover's SuperCam on Hampden River, Coffee Cove, Smiths Harbour.
Martian corundum formed from meteorite impacts generating extreme heat and pressure.
Findings were presented at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Texas.
The grains are too small to determine color visually.

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Story summary

NASA's Perseverance rover identified corundum crystals in Jezero Crater pebbles, potentially rubies or sapphires, the first on Mars.
Ann Ollila of Los Alamos National Laboratory led analysis with the rover's SuperCam on Hampden River, Coffee Cove, Smiths Harbour.
Martian corundum formed from meteorite impacts generating extreme heat and pressure.
Findings were presented at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Texas.
The grains are too small to determine color visually.