NASA's Perseverance finds ancient delta beneath Mars's Jezero Crater
Technology
NASA's Perseverance rover just spotted an ancient river delta buried under Mars's Jezero Crater, thanks to its ground-penetrating radar.
The layers of sediment show that Mars had long stretches of wet weather, which means the planet was once much more stable and watery than scientists thought.
Martian delta may preserve organics
These Martian deltas are a big deal because they could trap and preserve organic materials (basically, possible clues that life once existed there).
As one NASA scientist put it, finding this hidden delta opens up new possibilities in the search for past life.
The discovery of minerals like kaolinite (which forms in warm, wet conditions) adds even more weight to the idea that water stuck around on Mars for a long time.