Perseverance's PIXL Instrument Examines 'Thunderbolt Peak'

This image of a rock target nicknamed "Thunderbolt Peak" was created by NASA's Perseverance Mars rover using the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) – an instrument on the end of the rover's robotic arm that determines chemistry and mineral composition by zapping a rock with X-rays. Each blue dot in the image represents a spot where an X-ray hit. By measuring the interaction of the X-rays with the rock, scientists can map which minerals are present in a rock's surface and how much of them, plus the size, shape, and crystallinity of the rock grains. In the case of Thunderbolt Peak, three elements were especially abundant: iron, magnesium, and silica. The image and data were collected on July 8, 2024, the 1,202nd Martian day, or sol, of Perseverance's mission. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26365