Mars breakthrough as NASA discovery of mystery white rocks hint at life on planet

The discovery feeds into decades of speculation about life on the Red Planet. From the “canals” imagined by 19th-century astronomers to recent findings of ancient riverbeds and salty lake deposits, scientists have long debated whether Mars could have supported microbial life. While no direct evidence of past life has yet been found, the new kaolinite rocks provide a window into a time when conditions may have been right.

For decades, Mars has been portrayed as a frozen desert, with water mostly trapped in polar ice or underground. However, these white rocks point to a radically different environment billions of years ago: one that may have been warm, wet, and capable of sustaining life for extended periods.

The Perseverance rover, which landed in Jezero Crater in February 2021, continues to explore the region, analysing the mineral composition of the Martian surface. Scientists hope that as the rover approaches larger kaolinite deposits, it will provide more definitive evidence of Mars’ climate history.

Ms Horgan said: “Every rock tells a story. And these rocks are whispering that Mars was once a much more Earth-like world than we ever imagined.”

Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/2163090/mars-breakthrough-NASA-discovery-mystery-life-white-rocks