The soil of Mars harbors mysteries that for now are only visible to humans. rover NASA’s most advanced. On his way uphill, the rover Perseverance found red rocks with green spots, a color pattern not seen by other instruments. Mineral surprises become more frequent as the robot approaches the edges of Jezero Crater, its destination point.
The Perseverance rover is heading to an area where bodies of liquid water are believed to have existed. The robot has several objectives to delve into the past of Mars, but the most important is the identification of traces of past microscopic life (biosignatures) on the planet. If they exist, these records will not be in the tenuous Martian atmosphere, but in its rocks.
The study of the rocks found in its path is vital for Perseverance’s mission. In his last exploration, he found greenish, black and white veins in the reddish soil conformation. NASA explained that the rover He scraped a two-inch patch on the surface of a rock to examine its interior. Scientists took photos of that portion of mineral and saved the position of the rock for future mining missions. Although it is the most advanced of the robots on Mars, the rover It does not have the necessary tools to thoroughly analyze the green spots. The composition of the find remains an enigma.
What the green spots say
NASA is excited about the discovery, although it limits itself by not making assumptions. On Earth, red rocks with green spots indicate that liquid water once seeped through them. The oxidized iron, which gives the characteristic red tone, reacts with water molecules, causing this color change in its composition. Greenness can also be a sign that the mineral has decomposed organic matter. However, there are also explanations not related to water and life, such as the interaction between sulfur and iron.
The encounter with these eccentric rocks can provide evidence to the theory about the Jezero crater, a place 45 kilometers in diameter. The clay minerals in the area, in addition to the shape of the territory, are similar to terrestrial deposits with liquid water and microbial life. Scientists believe that the crater is a pillar for understanding the past of Mars.
At the end of September, Perseverance found a strange rock with a never-before-seen zebra pattern. Scientists were also unable to verify its composition, but they estimated that it is the product of natural igneous processes. Jezero Crater is probably the wound of a meteorite impact. Zebra rock is material created from that collision and a warning of what the rover If you continue on the current route, uphill.
As scientists continue to investigate Mars, more candidate sites for hosting biosignatures of past life are emerging. In a latest study, NASA determined that it should be searched for in the planet’s dusty ice called cryoconite. On Earth, cryoconite holes can be ecosystems of algae, fungi and cyanobacteria.
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