Mars Rover explores ancient lakes and rivers on Mars and finds signs of Martian life | Canaryasenred

the a pot Celebrates, after recently announcing a major achievement in its exploration mission in Mars. After 1000 days of continuous searching, it was found Rover Perseverance It has completed exploration of Jezero Crater, revealing fascinating discoveries about the Red Planet's geological past.

The Perseverance rover, equipped with six wheels and an array of advanced scientific instruments, succeeded in collecting 23 samples during its time in Mars. These achievements represent an important step in our understanding of this particular Martian region. Among the most notable findings, presented for the first time at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco, stands out “Lefroy Bay,” a specimen that left scientists in awe.

This sample contains an abundance of fine grains of silica, a material famous for preserving ancient fossils on Earth. This discovery raises the exciting possibility that Mars, at some point in its history, may have hosted life forms or signs of previous life.

Clear indications of past life on Mars

Another noteworthy discovery is the so-called “Otis Peak”, which contains a large amount of phosphate, a substance usually associated with signs of life. Both samples were also found to be rich in carbonate, a substance that can maintain environmental conditions during rock formation. These results reinforce the idea that Mars may have been a hospitable place for life in the past.

Perseverance project scientist Ken Farley of the California Institute of Technology explained why they chose Jezero Crater as the landing site. Orbital images revealed the presence of a delta, a feature indicating the past presence of a large lake within the crater. According to Farley, “Delta rocks are an excellent environment for burying signs of ancient life, such as fossils found in the geological record.”

In addition to these impressive results, NASA's explorations have also shed light on the geological history of Jezero Crater. It has been determined that this crater was formed as a result of an asteroid impact about 4 billion years ago, in the early days of Mars' history.

Since the Perseverance rover landed in February 2021, scientists have been studying the composition of the crater floor. They have discovered igneous rocks formed from magma associated with Martian volcanic activity. The presence of sandstone and shale indicates the existence of the first river hundreds of millions of years later, while salt-rich rocks indicate the presence of a shallow lake that extended to a diameter of about 22 miles and a depth of 100 feet.

In addition, the mission revealed evidence of rapid water flow, transporting rocks from outside the crater to the delta and other areas inside the crater. This suggests a more dynamic aquatic past than previously thought Mars.

Libby Ives, a postdoctoral fellow at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, highlighted the importance of Perseverance's detailed exploration. His work is essential to understanding the detailed chronology of history Jezero Geology.

But Perseverance isn't the only rover on the planet. a pot Make significant contributions to our understanding Mars. In a separate initiative, the Curiosity rover discovered the remains of an ancient, eroded river inside several craters on the Red Planet.

Using pictures Wandering curiosityThrough surveys of sedimentary rocks beneath the Gulf of Mexico and computer simulations, the researchers concluded that the common crater formations, known as “bank and nose” landforms, likely represent the remains of ancient river channels. This evidence suggests that Mars may have been a river planet in its distant past.

The lead author of this study, Benjamin Cardenas “We have found evidence that Mars may have been a river planet,” the Pennsylvania State University professor asserted. “We see signs of that all over the planet.” These discoveries reinforce the growing understanding of Greece’s watery past. Mars It raises interesting questions about the possibility of past life on the Red Planet.

the NASA exploration on Mars It presents exciting findings and challenges our perceptions of the geological past and potential habitability of this mysterious world as well as NASA's recent study of oxygen production on Mars. With perseverance and curiousity By working tirelessly to uncover the secrets of Mars, we are one step closer to answering one of the most intriguing questions in science: Was there life on Mars at some point in its history? The research continues and promises to reveal more wonders in the coming days.