NASA’s Perseverance rover discovery: Mars unveils clues to possible past life

NASA's Perseverance rover has unveiled compelling evidence of an ancient lake at the base of Mars' Jezero Crater, offering exciting prospects for uncovering traces of past life.

Touching down on February 18, 2021, Perseverance explores the 28-mile-wide Jezero Crater, once home to a significant lake and river delta. The rover diligently seeks signs of Martian life, collecting samples for potential return to Earth, Space.com reported. 

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Oslo collaborated on the Radar Imager for Mars' Subsurface Experiment (RIMFAX). This instrument reveals crucial insights into sediment layers on the crater floor.

RIMFAX's radar waves, emitted at 4-inch intervals, penetrate 65.6 feet below Mars' surface, creating a detailed subsurface profile. This capability enables scientists to study the formation of sediment layers over time.

David Paige, UCLA professor and RIMFAX's deputy principal investigator, highlights the challenge of understanding Martian deposits from orbit and emphasizes the need to examine the subsurface for the complete geological story.

RIMFAX data reveals conclusive evidence of sediment deposition by water that once filled Jezero Crater. These sediments may hold clues to potential microbial life that could have existed when the crater hosted water.

Similar to Earth's strata layers, Mars' crater floor displays distinct and horizontal sediment layers, offering a glimpse into the planet's geological history. Fluctuations in the lake's water levels created an expansive delta.

The discovery of layered sediments opens up the possibility that microbial life may have thrived in Mars' ancient lake. Future analysis of these sediment samples may reveal signs of life that once existed on the Red Planet.