Olivine on Earth
January 9, 2013
The Martian soil examined by the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument on NASA's Curiosity rover shows the diffraction signature, or "fingerprint," of the mineral olivine, shown here on Earth in the form of tumbled crystals about a quarter-inch (several millimeters) in size. The semi-precious gem peridot is a variety of olivine.
Image credit: Caltech
Topics:
Peridot, Olivine, Nesosilicates, Environment, Mars Exploration Rover, Martian soil, Mineral, Crystallography, Spacecraft, Spaceflight, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
