Extreme Heat and Pressure Cause Meteorite’s Elongation on Mars

Finding an elongated meteorite by NASA’s Curiosity Rover. Spectroscopic analysis has identified the formation of this meteorite, and it is believed that during its encounter with the Martian atmosphere, it underwent a process called ablation. Ablation is when the outer layers of an object heat up and melt due to intense friction and pressure. As the meteorite entered the Mars atmosphere, the high temperatures caused its outer layers to vaporize, resulting in a dramatic change in its original shape. This process of ablation is responsible for the elongated form observed in the meteorite. The intense heat and pressure from the surrounding air molecules caused the outer layers to melt and vaporize, creating an elongated shape as it plowed through the atmosphere. The vaporized materials trailed behind, leaving behind the characteristic elongation. The elongated shape of the meteorite suggests that it experienced significant aerodynamic forces during its descent through the Martian atmosphere, ca