NASA Perseverance Mars Rover makes a shocking discovery! Finds evidence of Water

The NASA Perseverance Mars Rover has found important evidence that can reveal when water was present on the red planet.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Aug 27 2022, 23:30 IST
Awesome NASA photo of Mars- Just check it out
NASA Perseverance Mars Rover
1/5 This amazing image of Mars with blue ripples reveals the secret of the red planet’s winds, says NASA. (NASA)
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2/5 NASA wrote in the image’s post ““There are tiny ripples on the tops of the dunes, only several feet from crest-to-crest. These merge into larger mega-ripples about 30 feet apart that radiate outward from the dunes. The larger, brighter formations that are roughly parallel are called "Transverse Aeolian Ridges" (TAR). These TAR are covered with very coarse sand”. (NASA)
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3/5 “All of these different features can indicate which way the wind was blowing when they formed. Being able to study such a variety so close together allows us to see their relationships and compare and contrast features to examine what they are made of and how they formed,” NASA further added. (NASA)
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4/5 According to NASA, the blue colour was not added for effect but had an important reason behind it. On the right side the ripples appear in blue-green color while on the left side, it appears in bright blue because the wind is blowing faster on the left side of the image and the TAR appears in bright color. On the right side, the slower moving wind gives it an ocean green color. (NASA)
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5/5 Just a month ago, NASA’s Mars Rover reported dust whirlwinds on Mars, known as Dust Devils. These whirlwinds got as big as 4 square kilometers and occurred multiple times a day. Therefore, to study the wind patterns, NASA added the blue colour to study the changing wind patterns on the red planet. (NASA)
NASA Perseverance Mars Rover
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The NASA Perseverance Mars Rover has found igneous rocks which might be the key to understand exactly when the red planet was habitable. (AP)

The NASA Perseverance Mars Rover was sent on the red planet to discover signs of life, but it might just have achieved something even more important. The Mars rover recently found volcanic igneous rocks which can be the key to untangling the martian timeline. Scientists can understand when exactly Mars had water and was habitable and in turn figure out what might have caused it to be the dead planet it is today.

The rover is roaming around the Jezero crater, where it first landed. And while exploring and collecting samples, the rover has come across an igneous rock. Igneous rocks are interesting because they formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava. This hints at volcanic eruptions in this region of Mars. But why is this such a big deal?

Geological activities like volcanic eruptions require tectonic plate movement, however, Mars does not have tectonic plates and there is no strong evidence that it ever did. “It's safe to say that the rocks were tilted after they were deposited by some phenomenon yet to be determined," Ken Farley, a professor of geochemistry at California Institute of Technology told Space. com. Volcanic rocks can help NASA determine when exactly water existed on Mars The discovery was a complete surprise as the Mars rover was looking for sedimentary rocks to find any signs of ancient life present in it. But the volcanic rocks have opened an entirely different possibility for the red planet.

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“We were very excited to find igneous rocks. Most of us had expected to be studying rocks deposited by the lake, and it took us quite a while to come to terms with the fact that the rocks on the crater floor are igneous,” Farley said.

The origin of igneous rocks remains a mystery on the planet and subsequent explorations will now be conducted to better understand where they came from.

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First Published Date: 26 Aug, 19:08 IST
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