Scientists believe new lake discovery key to proving alien life on Mars

  • Signs of life found by the Mars Perseverance rover
  • Samples to be brought back to Earth in a future mission
  • The mystery lies in three billion-year-old sediments found in a crater

Published on Mar 11, 2024 at 12:30 PM (UTC+4)
by Nalin Rawat

Last updated on Mar 11, 2024 at 4:43 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

Scientists have found an ancient lake bed on Mars that could prove there was life on Mars.

Thanks to the Mars Perseverance rover, scientists have confirmed that the Jezero crater was at one point filled with water.

Sediments found in the crater of the lake bed may provide evidence of alien life on Mars.

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“From orbit we can see a bunch of different deposits, but we can’t tell for sure if what we’re seeing is their original state, or if we’re seeing the conclusion of a long geological story.

“To tell how these things formed, we need to see below the surface,” Prof David Paige from the University of California said.

The Perseverance rover, which is about the size of a car, has been exploring the crater since 2021.

It drove from the crater floor onto the vast expanse where the three billion-year-old sediments were found.

NASA has also released footage taken by the rover to reveal how similar the surface of Mars is to Earth.

The scientists used the rover’s radio waves to see down to the base of the sediments and take a look at the top surface of the buried crater floor.

Radar images also show that lake sediments are regular and horizontal, similar to sediments in lakes on Earth.

Soil and rock samples taken by the Perseverance rover will be brought back to Earth on a future expedition.

These samples will be studied extensively for evidence of alien life.

So, we may not be alone in the universe after all.

However, the alien life forms may as well be microscopic, so don’t get your hopes up so soon.

Other than the Mars Perseverance rover, NASA also deployed the Ingenuity helicopter, a small and experimental aircraft.

However, the aircraft crashed during its 72nd flight but not before capturing a sprawling view of the Martian desert.

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Nalin started his career by working with various national newspapers in India. He has also worked as a writer/editor for many popular websites, while still pursuing his journalism and mass communication degree. Working as a digital nomad has allowed him to inform and educate through his work. When he is not writing, you can find him playing video games or travelling the mountains on his bike.