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NASA’s Perseverance rover has discovered new chemical clues on Mars that point to the planet’s potential to have once supported life.
Analysing mudstone samples from the Jezero Crater, an ancient lakebed believed to have once held water, the rover detected carbon-based materials and unusual mineral combinations that may have formed in environments favourable to life.
“This might be the most compelling evidence of life we’ve ever found on Mars,” said acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy during a press briefing on Wednesday (September 10).
Scientists had long hypothesised that the Jezero Crater, particularly within the Bright Angel formation, could have hosted microbial life during its time as a lake.
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