Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2025 June 22
   [2]The image looks down on an orange rock on Mars. On the rock are many
     nearly spherical smaller rocks. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                      A Berry Bowl of Martian Spherules
              Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]JPL, [5]Curiosity Rover

   Explanation: How were these unusual Martian spherules created?
   Thousands of [6]unusual gray spherules made of [7]iron and rock and
   dubbed [8]blueberries were found embedded in and [9]surrounding rocks
   near the [10]landing site of the robot [11]Opportunity rover on
   [12]Mars in 2004. To help investigate their origin, Opportunity found a
   surface dubbed the Berry Bowl with an indentation that was [13]rich in
   the Martian orbs. The Berry Bowl is [14]pictured here, imaged during
   rover's 48th [15]Martian day. The average size of a Martian blueberry
   rock is only about 4 millimeters across. By [16]analyzing a circular
   patch in the rock surface to the left of the densest patch of
   [17]spherules, Opportunity obtained data showing that the underlying
   rock has a much different composition than the [18]hematite rich
   [19]blueberries. This information contributes to the growing consensus
   that these small, strange, gray orbs were slowly deposited from a bath
   of [20]dirty water.

    APOD Turns 30!: [21]Free Public Lecture in Cork, Ireland on Tuesday,
                               June 24 at 7 pm
                       Tomorrow's picture: heart stars
     __________________________________________________________________

      [22]< | [23]Archive | [24]Submissions | [25]Index | [26]Search |
   [27]Calendar | [28]RSS | [29]Education | [30]About APOD | [31]Discuss |
                                    [32]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([36]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [37]Specific rights apply.
            [38]NASA Web Privacy, [39]Accessibility, [40]Notices;
                A service of: [41]ASD at [42]NASA / [43]GSFC,
                         [44]NASA Science Activation
                           & [45]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2506/berrybowl_opportunity_960.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
   5. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-curiosity/
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap040210.html
   7. https://periodic.lanl.gov/26.shtml
   8. https://www.wildblueberries.net/bluehistory.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap040204.html
  10. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-curiosity/location-map/
  11. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-exploration-rovers-spirit-and-opportunity/
  12. https://science.nasa.gov/mars/
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap040216.html
  14. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05634
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_sol
  16. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017Icar..289..144W/abstract
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martian_spherules
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hematite
  19. https://science.nasa.gov/resource/martian-blueberries-2/
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap040303.html
  21. https://corkastronomyclub.com/astronomy-picture-of-the-day-lecture/
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250621.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  28. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  31. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250622
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250623.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  41. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  44. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  45. http://www.mtu.edu/