Curiosity finds new evidence Mars was once habitable
Posted: Wed, Mar 13, 2013, 8:08 AM ET (1208 GMT)
Analysis of a rock sample by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has given scientists new evidence that Mars once had the right conditions to support life. Scientists reported Tuesday on the first rock sample collected by Curiosity, of a rock dubbed "John Klein", collected by the rover last month. They found that clay minerals make up at least 20 percent of the sample; such minerals form in the presence of relatively fresh water, and the presence of calcium sulfate indicates that the water was relatively neutral or mildly alkaline. The mix of oxidized and non-oxidized chemicals could also have provided an energy source for any microorganisms that lived there early in the planet's history, although Curiosity found no evidence of past or present life.
Analysis of a rock sample by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has given scientists new evidence that Mars once had the right conditions to support life. Scientists reported Tuesday on the first rock sample collected by Curiosity, of a rock dubbed "John Klein", collected by the rover last month. They found that clay minerals make up at least 20 percent of the sample; such minerals form in the presence of relatively fresh water, and the presence of calcium sulfate indicates that the water was relatively neutral or mildly alkaline. The mix of oxidized and non-oxidized chemicals could also have provided an energy source for any microorganisms that lived there early in the planet's history, although Curiosity found no evidence of past or present life.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Wednesday, September 16
Russia’s Starlink Rival “Rassvet” Fails to Reach Target Orbit 6 Months After Launch
United24 Media — 1:10 am ET (0510 GMT) Newly proposed U.S. Space Academy belongs in Huntsville, Alabama lawmakers say
Huntsville Times — 1:09 am ET (0509 GMT) North Alabama leaders pitch Huntsville to Space Command personnel at transition seminar
WAFF-TV — 1:08 am ET (0508 GMT) Air Force secretary admits US weapons are stationed in outer space
Washington Examiner — 1:06 am ET (0506 GMT) Budget impasse imperils 1 in 10 Space Force programs, new chief says
Breaking Defense — 1:04 am ET (0504 GMT) |
