# N165 > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/N165 > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/N165.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N165 > Source revision: 1311676493 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Rock on Mars Coronation rock Coronation rock on Mars – the first target of the ChemCam laser analyzer on the Curiosity rover (August 17, 2012) Feature type Rock Coordinates 4°35′S 137°26′E / 4.59°S 137.44°E / -4.59; 137.44 **N165** (**Coronation rock**) is a [rock](/source/Rock_(geology)) on the surface of [Aeolis Palus](/source/Aeolis_Palus) in [Gale Crater](/source/Gale_(crater)) on the planet [Mars](/source/Mars) near the [landing site (Bradbury Landing)](/source/Bradbury_Landing) of the [*Curiosity* rover](/source/Curiosity_rover).[1][2] The "approximate" site coordinates are: [4°35′S 137°26′E / 4.59°S 137.44°E / -4.59; 137.44](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=N165¶ms=4.59_S_137.44_E_globe:Mars). On August 19, 2012, the rock was the first target of the rover's laser instrument, [ChemCam](/source/Chemistry_and_Camera_complex),[1] which can analyze targets at a distance using a laser and spectrometer.[1] A [Twitter](/source/Twitter) feed for the rock was created, featuring an anthropomorphized account of its experiences.[3] Its posts include a humor themed mix of social interaction and Mars content such as "*Did you know I was born in a volcano? Basalts like me come from lava. That's why we call it Olympus Mom*".[3][4] The goal of this initial use of the laser on Mars was to serve as target practice for characterizing the instrument. The rock was primarily selected for its proximity to the rover, rather than any intrinsic scientific value. The rock was lasered thirty times over ten seconds.[2] The mission's investigators thought the rock was a [basalt](/source/Basalt) prior to lasing, which was confirmed by preliminary results.[5][6] The ChemCam team reported positive results; they worked on the instrument for eight years before getting to use it on Mars.[2] ## Images - First Laser Test on a Mars Rock, N165, by [ChemCam](/source/Chemistry_and_Camera_complex) on the [*Curiosity* rover](/source/Curiosity_Rover) (August 19, 2012). - Coronation [rock](/source/Rock_(geology)) on Mars - first target of the [ChemCam](/source/Chemistry_and_Camera_complex) [laser analyzer](/source/Laser-induced_breakdown_spectroscopy) on the [*Curiosity* rover](/source/Curiosity_rover) (August 19, 2012). - First [Laser Spectrum](/source/Laser-induced_breakdown_spectroscopy) of [chemical elements](/source/Chemical_elements) from [ChemCam](/source/Chemistry_and_Camera_complex) on the [*Curiosity* rover](/source/Curiosity_rover) (["Coronation" rock](/source/Coronation_rock), August 19, 2012). Panorama of [rocks](/source/Rock_(geology)) near the [*Curiosity* rover](/source/Curiosity_Rover) - near [Bradbury Landing](/source/Bradbury_Landing) (August 9, 2012). ## See also Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Rocks on Mars](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Rocks_on_Mars). Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Gale Crater](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Gale_Crater). - [Aeolis quadrangle](/source/Aeolis_quadrangle) - [Composition of Mars](/source/Composition_of_Mars) - [Geology of Mars](/source/Geology_of_Mars) - [List of rocks on Mars](/source/List_of_rocks_on_Mars) - [Timeline of Mars Science Laboratory](/source/Timeline_of_Mars_Science_Laboratory) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-pcw_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-pcw_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-pcw_1-2) ["Christina DesMarais - Mars Rock-Zapping Laser Explained - PC World"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120908021349/http://www.pcworld.com/article/261084/mars_rockzapping_laser_explained.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.pcworld.com/article/261084/mars_rockzapping_laser_explained.html) on 2012-09-08. Retrieved 2012-08-18. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NASA-20120819a_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NASA-20120819a_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-NASA-20120819a_2-2) Webster, Guy; Agle, D.C. (August 19, 2012). ["Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity Mission Status Report"](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2012-248). [NASA](/source/NASA). Retrieved September 3, 2012. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-twit_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-twit_3-1) ["Lauren Davis - Read the increasingly desperate tweets of Martian rock .. - IO9"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140717231654/http://io9.com/5936005/read-the-increasingly-desperate-tweets-of-martian-rock-n165-as-it-is-zapped-by-curiosity). Archived from [the original](http://io9.com/5936005/read-the-increasingly-desperate-tweets-of-martian-rock-n165-as-it-is-zapped-by-curiosity) on 2014-07-17. Retrieved 2012-08-20. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Twitter - N165 aka Coronation](https://twitter.com/N165Mars/status/238946631393882112) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-BBC-20120817_5-0)** Amos, Jonathan (August 17, 2012). ["Nasa's Curiosity rover prepares to zap Martian rocks"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19302886). [BBC News](/source/BBC_News). Retrieved September 3, 2012. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["NASA - Coronation's Chemicals"](https://web.archive.org/web/20211117114205/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia16089.html). Archived from [the original](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia16089.html) on 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2012-08-24. ## External links - [*Curiosity* Rover - Official Site](https://web.archive.org/web/20191010210514/https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/home/) - [NASA - Mars Exploration Program](https://mars.nasa.gov/) - [NASA - N165 - *After the Laser Shots*](https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/images/?ImageID=4546) - [NASA - N165 - *Rover Zaps Rock*](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2012-248) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220119003900/http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2012-248) 2022-01-19 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) - [Twitter - N165 ("Coronation" rock)](https://web.archive.org/web/20131220114814/https://twitter.com/N165Mars) - [Volcanic rock classification](https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/MPF/ops/hap_5.jpg) v t e Mars Science Laboratory General Curiosity rover Timeline of Mars Science Laboratory Instruments APXS ChemCam CheMin DAN DRT Hazcam MARDI MAHLI MastCam Navcam RAD REMS Robotic arm Rover embedded computers SAM Features MarsDial MMRTG Rocker-bogie Sky crane Sites Mount Sharp (Aeolis Mons) Aeolis Palus Bradbury Landing Gale Crater Glenelg Peace Vallis Rocknest Yellowknife Bay Rocks Bathurst Inlet Coronation Goulburn Hottah Jake Matijevic Link Rocknest Rocknest 3 Tintina Related Experience Curiosity Exploration of Mars Category Solar System portal v t e Mars Outline of Mars Geography Atmosphere Circulation Climate Dust devil tracks Methane Regions Arabia Terra Cerberus (Mars) Cydonia Eridania Lake Iani Chaos Olympia Undae Planum Australe Planum Boreum Quadrangles Sinus Meridiani Tempe Terra Terra Cimmeria Terra Sabaea Tharsis Undae Ultimi Scopuli Vastitas Borealis Physical features "Canals" (list) Canyons Catenae Chaos terrain Craters Fossae Gullies Mensae Labyrinthi Mountains by height Observed rocks Outflow channels Plains Valley network Valleys Gravity Geology Brain terrain Carbonates Chaos terrain Color Composition Concentric crater fill Dark slope streak Dichotomy Fretted terrain Geysers Glaciers Groundwater Gullies Lakes Lava tubes Lobate debris apron Marsquake Meteorites on Earth on Mars Mud cracks North Polar Basin Ocean hypothesis Ore resources Polar caps polar wander Recurring slope lineae (RSL) Ring mold craters Rootless cones Seasonal flows Soil Spherules Surface "Swiss cheese" feature Terrain softening Tharsis bulge Volcanism Water Yardangs History Pre-Noachian Noachian Hesperian Amazonian Observation history Classical albedo features Astronomy Moons Phobos Stickney crater Limtoc crater Monolith Deimos Swift crater Voltaire crater Transits Solar eclipses on Mars Satellite transits Phobos Deimos Planetary transits Earth Mercury Asteroids Impacts Mars-crossers 2007 WD5 Trojans 5261 Eureka 1998 VF31 1999 UJ7 2007 NS2 Comets C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) General Orbit Exploration Concepts Flyby Orbiter Landing Rover Sample return Human mission Permanent settlement Colonization Terraforming Missions List of missions to Mars Advocacy The Mars Project The Case for Mars Inspiration Mars Foundation Mars Institute Mars Society Mars race Related Artificial objects on Mars Memorials on Mars Fiction List of films set on Mars Martian scientist Mythology Flag of Mars Life on Mars Sub-Earth Timekeeping on Mars Sol (day on Mars) Darian calendar Category Solar System portal [Portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Portals): - [Solar System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Solar_System) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [N165](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N165) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N165?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.