Robots detect objects that sparkle on Mars

The Curiosity self-propelled probe stopped analyzing soil on Mars after the operators detected a glittering object near its location.

Curiosity's camera detects bright objects near its location. (Photo: NASA)

The object appears in a photo that the US Aerospace Agency (NASA) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). So experts decided to stop the soil analysis so Curiosity took more pictures of the object, the AP reported.

"That could be a component in the autonomous robot hardware , " JPL commented.

After the photo of the glittering object appeared on Twitter, many people guessed it to be earrings, filters of cigarettes, screws, sand dunes.

A more detailed picture taken by ChemCam's Curiosity camera shows that the glittering object is a piece of plastic or insulation tape, NBC said.

Curiosity landed on the surface of Mars on August 6 and did some work. In the process of exploring the surface of the planet, it left only the traces of the wheel and the holes created by the laser. In September Curiosity discovered countless smooth, round pebbles in the rock seams - evidence of the existence of streams on the red planet.