NASA’s Curiosity rover has spotted some unusually-shaped rocks on Mars’ surface.

Coral on Mars?

Dig deeper:

Photos shared on NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory website show wind-eroded rocks that are shaped like pieces of coral.

The rover discovered these specimens on July 24, 2025.

Researchers nicknamed the rock "Paposo."

The backstory:

Many rocks like Papaso litter the red planet’s surface, which researchers said formed billions of years ago when liquid water still existed on Mars.

In 2022, NASA shared images of another rock that also looked like coral but more flower-shaped.

The flower-shaped rock was found in the Gale Crater.

What they're saying:

"Water carried dissolved minerals into rock cracks and later dried, leaving the hardened minerals behind. Eons of sandblasting

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