NASA’s Perseverance rover has made a groundbreaking discovery on Mars, uncovering a diverse array of rocks that are providing scientists with a glimpse into the planet’s ancient history.
The rover is currently exploring the rim of Jezero Crater, a dry depression north of the Martian equator that likely held a lake billions of years ago. Since reaching the crater’s western rim in December, the rover has collected samples of five rocks, performed detailed analysis on seven others, and zapped an additional 83 with its laser for remote study.
The crater’s western rim is proving to be a scientific goldmine, containing fragmented rocks that were blasted from deep beneath the surface billions of years ago. One of the most significant finds is the “Silver Mountain” rock, which dates back at least 3.9 billion years and provides insights into Mars’ Noachian age.
The rover’s discovery has sent shockwaves among scientists, who say it’s exceeded their expectations. The find also holds potential for answering one of humanity’s greatest questions: whether there was ever life on Mars.
However, the fate of NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission remains uncertain due to budget and scheduling issues. Despite this, the Perseverance rover continues to push the boundaries of scientific discovery on the Red Planet.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/nasas-perseverance-rover-hits-mars-150000506.html