PIXL Archives

PIXL micro-XRF observation from the third “Apollo Temple” scan (a,b), alongside a SHERLOC WATSON color image for context (c). An RGB composite shows the areas with relative enrichment of FeOT, SO3, and SiO2 where brownish tones highlight Fe-sulfide (a). Zones of Ni enrichment are seen in yellow (b) and marked with white arrows (a,b,c). Dashed black box shows the approximate area of the PIXL scan (c). Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report

Strong Nickel Enrichment Co-located With Redox-organic Interactions In Neretva Vallis, Mars

by Keith CowingApril 8, 2026April 8, 2026

In 2024, NASA’s Perseverance rover explored Neretva Vallis, an ancient river channel that once transported water into Jezero crater.

This image from a map of Jezero Crater shows the area NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is currently exploring, including Belva Crater, just below the center of the image. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/USGS-Flagstaff/JHU-APL -- NASA Larger image

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Radiation, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report

Recent Production Rates Of Cosmogenic Nuclides In The Igneous Rocks of Jezero Crater Floor, Mars

by Keith CowingJanuary 2, 2026January 2, 2026

The Perseverance rover has collected rock samples from the floor of Jezero crater, Mars, set to be returned to Earth through the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. These surface rocks […]

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover generated this mineral map showing the presence of two minerals – vivianite (purple and pink) and greigite (dull yellow and green) – on the surface of a rock nicknamed "Cheyava Falls." -- NASA

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

Mars Perseverance’s PIXL Finds Vivianite, Greigite in Cheyava Falls Sample

by Keith CowingOctober 28, 2025October 29, 2025

The data helped scientists determine the rock contained a potential biosignature, which is a substance or structure that might have a biological origin but requires more data or further study […]

Colorized HiRISE map of the western edge of Jezero crater with rover traverse. The colors of the traverse indicate the location of different science campaigns with green showing the Crater Floor campaign (Section 2.1), orange showing the Fan Front campaign (Section 2.2), blue showing the Upper Fan campaign (Section 2.2), and pink showing the Margin Unit campaign (Section 2.4). Black arrows indicate the location of two investigations on boulders (Section 2.3). Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) scans are indicated by either a square, triangle, or circle, indicating data collected on a natural surface target, an abrasion patch, or an abrasion patch where a sample was also collected, respectively. Sols associated with the triangles and circles indicate when the rover was at that location. The location of Three Forks Depot is shown by a star for reference. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report

Multiple Episodes of Fluid Alteration in Jezero Crater Indicated by MIST Mineral Identifications in PIXL XRF Data

by Keith CowingSeptember 23, 2025September 23, 2025

The Mineral Identification by Stoichiometry (MIST) algorithm can identify mineral species in geochemical data sets. MIST is applied to X-ray fluorescence chemical analyses from the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry […]

a, Orbital context image with the rover traverse overlain in white. White line and arrows show the direction of the rover traverse from the southern contact between the Margin Unit and Neretva Vallis to the Bright Angel outcrop area and then to the Masonic Temple outcrop area. Labelled orange triangles show the locations of proximity science targets discussed in the text. b, Mastcam-Z 360° image mosaic looking at the contact between the light-toned Bright Angel Formation (foreground) and the topographically higher-standing Margin Unit from within the Neretva Vallis channel. This mosaic was collected on sol 1178 from the location of the Walhalla Glades target before abrasion. Upslope, about 110 m distant, the approximate location of the Beaver Falls workspace (containing the targets Cheyava Falls, Apollo Temple and Steamboat Mountain and the Sapphire Canyon sample) is shown. Downslope, about 50 m distant, the approximate location of the target Grapevine Canyon is also shown. In the distance, at the southern side of Neretva Vallis, the Masonic Temple outcrop area is just visible. Mastcam-Z enhanced colour RGB cylindrical projection mosaic from sol 1178, sequence IDs zcam09219 and zcam09220, acquired at 63-mm focal length. A flyover of this area is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FAYABW-c_Q. Scale bars (white), 100 m (a), 50 m (b, top) and 50 cm (b, bottom left). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS.

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs

Potential Biosignatures Found In An Ancient Mars Lake

by Keith CowingSeptember 11, 2025September 18, 2025

A new study suggests a habitable past and signs of ancient microbial processes on Mars – and Imperial scientists provided crucial context.

NASA’s Perseverance rover uses an abrading bit to get below the surface of a rocky outcrop nicknamed “Kenmore” on June 10. The eight images that make up this video were taken approximately one minute apart by one of the rover’s front hazard-avoidance cameras. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mars, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs

Perseverance Grinds Rocks On Mars For Science

by Keith CowingJune 25, 2025June 25, 2025

In addition to drilling rock core samples, the science team has been grinding its way into rocks to make sense of the scientific evidence hiding just below the surface.

Finessing a fractured rock: NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image showing the “Slants River” target, which fractured after being abraded by the rover.

Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return

Navigating A Slanted River On Mars

by Keith CowingMarch 26, 2025March 26, 2025

Perseverance is hard at work on Mars, overcoming obstacles for scientific exploration! Just a few sols after successfully sealing the challenging Green Gardens core, Perseverance roved on to the Broom […]

The Navigation Cameras, or Navcams, aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover captured this view of the rover's deck on Feb. 20, 2021. This view provides a good look at PIXL, one of the instruments on the rover's stowed arm. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech larger image

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

Away Team Droid Tech: The PIXL Instrument on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover

by Keith CowingJuly 12, 2024July 7, 2024

The Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) is a micro-focus X-ray fluorescence spectrometer mounted on the robotic arm of NASA’s Perseverance rover.

Abrading Old Faithful Geyser: On Sol 1151 (May 16, 2024), Perseverance abraded a carbonate-bearing rock called Old Faithful Geyser in the Western Margin Unit. This activity was captures by the rover’s Left Hazard Avoidance Camera (HAZCAM). NASA/JPL-Caltech

Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Tricorders & Sensors

Carving Into Carbonates at Old Faithful Geyser – In Jezero Crater – On Mars

by Keith CowingJune 11, 2024June 11, 2024

This past week on Mars, Perseverance made a pit stop near Overlook Mountain to abrade a rock called Old Faithful Geyser. This target is situated within the Western side of […]

Model of the Mars Perseverance rover showing the location of PIXL at the end of the robotic arm.

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

Tricorder Tech: A.I. / Machine Learning: Adaptive Sampling With PIXL On Mars Perseverance

by Keith CowingMay 24, 2024May 24, 2024

Editor’s note: From the paper’s Introduction: “At the time of this writing, PIXL’s adaptive sampling capability has been operating on Mars for over 951 sols (martian days), with over 52 […]

PIXL

Strong Nickel Enrichment Co-located With Redox-organic Interactions In Neretva Vallis, Mars

Recent Production Rates Of Cosmogenic Nuclides In The Igneous Rocks of Jezero Crater Floor, Mars

Mars Perseverance’s PIXL Finds Vivianite, Greigite in Cheyava Falls Sample

Multiple Episodes of Fluid Alteration in Jezero Crater Indicated by MIST Mineral Identifications in PIXL XRF Data

Potential Biosignatures Found In An Ancient Mars Lake

Perseverance Grinds Rocks On Mars For Science

Navigating A Slanted River On Mars

Away Team Droid Tech: The PIXL Instrument on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover

Carving Into Carbonates at Old Faithful Geyser – In Jezero Crater – On Mars

Tricorder Tech: A.I. / Machine Learning: Adaptive Sampling With PIXL On Mars Perseverance

Survival and Detectability of Mars-Derived Organic Carbon in Phobos Regolith: A Quantitative Hardness Taxonomy for MMX Sample Analysis

Lava World Recon: Juno Studies Io’s Volcanoes

New Exomoon Detection Challenges Cosmic Labels

Discrimination of Tectonic, Swarm And Impact-related Marsquakes Using Spectral Characteristics

Mapping Alien Continents: Achieving Optical VLBI For Exoplanet Imaging