Lasers, Rocks, and Mars!

Have you ever wondered how planetary scientists use rovers to identify rocks and minerals on Mars? Geoscientists in MSU's Earth and Environmental Science Department use Raman spectroscopy to study how rocks react with brines to form deposits similar to rocks observed on Mars. Come learn how the Raman spectrometer works and see a demonstration. We will be zapping rocks with lasers to see what they are made of, just like the rovers on Mars! Young visitors may bring a rock to analyze; it just needs to be smaller than your thumb.