
The floor of Mars, photographed by NASA’s Perseverance rover
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
Pure quartz crystals have been noticed on Mars for the primary time, in addition to different gems like opal. Researchers say these crystals, in addition to being proof of previous hydrothermal exercise, might include well-preserved indicators of historical Martian life.
Because it arrived on Mars in 2020, NASA’s Perseverance rover has been scouring the underside of Jezero crater, an unlimited historical lake in all probability shaped by an asteroid influence. However final 12 months, the rover journeyed out of the lake backside and commenced climbing the crater’s rim, the place the rocks…