Mars mystery rocks stump scientists

Microscopic photos of a Mars rock taken by NASA’s Opportunity rover have triggered excitement among scientists, even if they’re not unanimous on exactly what they’re seeing.

The images show a detailed surface on a rock, dubbed El Capitan, that the rover has been examining.

“They are just very beautiful things and it’s not at all clear ... what we’re looking at,” mission official Rob Manning said on Monday.

The layered rock generated debate about whether it was formed volcanically, by deposition of sediments, or involved mineral growth or wind-created structures.

“The science team is very reluctant to make any decisions ... there’s a lot of information in the pictures,” Mr Manning said.