Overview

• On August 5, Perseverance’s Left Mastcam-Z snapped a high-resolution image of a rock dubbed Horneflya and NASA later named it the mission’s Image of the Week
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory spokesperson David Agle confirmed the rock is composed almost entirely of small spherical mineral deposits
• Scientists say similar spherule-covered formations on Earth form through chemical weathering, groundwater mineral precipitation or volcanic and impact activity
• Online viewers compared the helmet-shaped outcrop to a medieval helm and a Harry Potter sorting hat, illustrating the role of pareidolia in public engagement
• The rover continues systematic imaging and sample caching in Jezero Crater to probe its wet history and seek evidence of past microbial life