Curiosity rover spots 'shiny' object on Mars and NASA isn't sure what it is

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NASA released a statement saying Curiosity, the seven-year-old rover on Mars, has detected a "shiny" object which may indeed be a meteorite.

Last month marked a new pinnacle for space exploration, as the InSight lander became NASA's first probe to reach Mars and land successfully since the Curiosity rover did in 2012.

But the Curiosity is not going quietly into the night, letting its new brother steal all the attention — the seven-year-old rover has detected a "shiny" object which may indeed be a meteorite.

In a mission update posted on Nov. 28, NASA noted Curiosity is drilling at the Highfield site and will give a further look at four samples, including one known as "Little Colonsay" because of its startling looks.

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"The planning team thinks it might be a meteorite because it is so shiny," NASA wrote in the mission update. "But looks can deceive, and proof will only come from the chemistry."

The government space agency said it missed "Little Colonsay" in a previous attempt and will use that information to try again, using the rover’s ChemCam instrument to confirm the make-up of the object.

There are three other targets that are getting special attention, including the "Flanders Moss," which NASA said, "shows an interesting, dark colored coating, for which chemistry is required to confirm its nature."

There are two other targets, known as "Forres" and "Eildon," which Curiosity will further investigate before it leaves the Highfield site.

Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia