The Mars Curiosity rover is known for its unique discoveries, which highlight ancient life, among other things. Thus, many rock formations seem to be part of distant life on the Red Planet.
The final subject revealed by the robotic vehicle was a bizarre formation that resembles a flower. Could this mean there was water on Mars a million years ago?
Curiosity Rover takes a photo of a strange flower formation
(Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
The Curiosity rover took an image of a mineralized flower on Mars. Is this a sign of life that researchers are looking for?
Space exploration in previous years has paved the way for experts to comment on Mars’ aquatic past.
It should be noted that many rock formations could hint at such a possibility, although there is no strong link that can prove this to be true on the other line.
It may be recalled that around 1976, the Viking 1 Lander spotted pyramid-shaped structures on the Red Planet.
A few years after this discovery, it was discovered that these pyramids were mirages. Scientists have concluded that these are also natural formations on Mars.
According to a report by The debriefing, the recent image captured by Curiosity was somewhat similar to the photo NASA’s Perseverance rover spotted last month. The last photograph appears to be a rock formation with a strong resemblance to a flower.
The international space agency wrote on its Publish that the photo was captured using the MAHLI camera or the Mars Hands Lens Imager camera. This equipment was located at the end of the robotic arm of the machine.
Additionally, this photo was released on February 24, which marks the 3,396th day of the Curiosity rover’s exploration of Mars.
We could see that it is something of a rocky artifact that existed a million years ago as far as its weird appearance goes. To add, this could mean that the Martian lands once contained mineral-rich water, according to the NASA statement.
“Curiosity has discovered a diverse assortment of similar small features in the past that formed when mineralizing fluids passed through conduits in rock,” the space agency said.
Related article: NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover catches glimpse of unusual rock feature in Gale Crater
Flower formation is not a sign of life on Mars
The debrief also said that the recent image of a flower captured by Curiosity may not be the “sign of life” experts are looking at on Mars.
Either way, it’s still an important piece to add to their future research regarding the extent of wet Martian land in the past.
Specifically, the features in the photo could serve as a guide for scientists to learn more about the liquid water that was once present in Gale Crater.
In another Tech Times report, ESA’s ExoMars rover has faced another round of delays due to events in Ukraine. It was previously scheduled to fly in September 2022.
Elsewhere, NASA has greenlighted initial funding for futuristic technology that could allow humans to breathe on Mars.
Read also : NASA Curiosity Team Discovers ‘Mother of Pearl’ Clouds on Mars – Iridescent Cloud Formation Colors in Martian Sky
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Written by Joseph Henry
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