It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out, it's the pebble in your shoe.
-- Muhammad Ali
#Perseverance rover has found possible hints of ancient #life on #Mars― one of the strongest signs yet of Martian life, according to planetary scientists.
Dark-rimmed ‘leopard spots’ in a rock studied by the rover last year could be the remains of Martian microbial activity.
The announcement comes loaded with caveats.
Yes, the spots look a lot like those produced by microbes on Earth. But the spots might have formed without the help of living organisms.
#astrobiology
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00772-2
Some beautiful long distance vistas acquired by Perseverance today, from her vantage position on the slopes of the rim of Jezero Crater
#Mars Mar. 7, 2025 (Sol 1438)
Credits images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
Four years ago, our fierce #Perseverance rover landed on Mars. In the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, we were all reminded - even if temporarily - of what can be accomplished when we all work together. Here’s to many more years of exploration and discovery on the Red Planet. Merci!
Check out this processing, by Estonian photographer Andrew Bodrov, of the latest 360° panorama captured by Perseverance with her Mastcam Zoom camera (Feb. 8, 2025 - Sol 1412)
https://www.360cities.net/image/mars-panorama-perseverance-rover-martian-solar-day-1412/vr
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/ASU/360pano.eu
BREAKING:
Scientists announce that the processes which created the "poppy seeds" and "leopard spots" features #Perseverance encountered at Bright Angel were most likely biological metabolisms.
That's as close to announcing ancient life found on Mars as it has ever been
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2025/pdf/2133.pdf
Images:
• Annotated excerpt from the paper (h/t @sharponlooker )
• "leopard spots" seen at the Cheyava Falls rock
• "poppy seed" animation of the abrasion at the Walhalla Glades field
#Perseverance has now gone back to South Arm, where it had been 48 Sols ago, apparently to examine the rocks there more closely.
Map drawn with #QGIS
Processed, undistorted, leveled, cropped NAVCAM_LEFT
looking NW (324°) from RMC 67.0634
Sol 1407, LMST: 13:27:29
Credit: #NASA/JPL-Caltech/65dBnoise
L'échantillon surnommé « Silver Mountain », présente des textures qui ne ressemblent à rien de ce qui a été vu auparavant.