Perseverance Rover Reveals New Insights into Ancient Water Presence on Mars

After 1,000 days on Mars, the rover has collected samples indicating past water-rich environments and potential signs of ancient life.

NASA's Perseverance rover has completed 1,000 days on Mars, uncovering new details about an ancient lake and river delta in Jezero Crater.
The rover has collected 23 rock samples from different locations throughout the crater and delta, some of which include silica, a mineral that aids in the preservation of ancient fossils and organic molecules on Earth.
Other samples contain iron associated with phosphate, a natural source of the element phosphorus that is a component of DNA and cell membranes, and carbonate, indicating past water-rich environments.
Scientists believe that Jezero Crater formed when an asteroid slammed into Mars 4 billion years ago and that a river flowed into the crater millions of years after it formed, creating a lake that eventually evaporated.
Perseverance's next mission is to study an area near the crater's entrance where a river flooded across the crater floor, leaving behind deposits of carbonate.