Landing site of Mars 2020 rover could preserve signs of ancient life: Study

NASA in its press release announced the location Jezero crater, for the landing of its rover for the 2020 Mars mission last year. According to a new study published in the journal of Geophysical Research Letters, the site might preserve signs of ancient life on the Red planet. According to the NASA Jet propulsion laboratory, the rover is expected to land on the Jezero crater on February 18, 2021.

Presence of hydrated silica on Red Planet

A new study published in Geophysical Research Letters discussed that the Jezero crater might have deposits of hydrated silica, which is a mineral that can preserve biosignatures. The study author Jesse Tarnas, a PhD student at Brown University in Rhode Island, US said that they have developed a new technique with the help of which they can find minerals which are hard-to-detect, and the data for the same was taken from the rover. They discovered two outcrops of hydrated silica present within the Jezero crater. Tarnas further said that these sights will be exciting for the exploration of the Red Planet as it is a fact that hydrated silica is known for the preservation of microfossils and biosignatures. These further provide insight into ancient life and their existence. 

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Hydrated silica in the delta enhances preservation potential

There is a large delta present in the Jezero crater which will be the major site of research. According to the scientists that delta was formed by ancient rivers. The delta will be home to several minerals from the rivers that were responsible for its making. The minerals of the delta along with the hydrated silica enhances the preservation potential according to the study. ack Mustard, Professor at Brown and study co-author said that the minerals from the lowest layer of the delta which will provide signs of ancient life. The researchers conducted the study using data provided by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), an instrument that is deployed above NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

In another study, there are concentrate carbonate deposits also found on various locations around Mars. 

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