# Nasa: Ancient Lake on Mars Raises Possibility of Alien Life

- Link: https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/nasa-ancient-lake-on-mars-raises-possibility-of-alien-life/4121105324
- Published: 2023-02-13T11:28:31+00:00
- Author: Anthony Fox

Nasa’s Curiosity rover has found evidence of a lake on Mars, raising the possibility
that the Red Planet could have hosted life. The rover discovered rippled rock textures,
which suggest that waves and water had once existed in an area of Mars that was 
expected to be dry. This is the clearest evidence yet of water and waves that Curiosity
has discovered.

The rover is currently ascending the foothills of Mount Sharp, which was once filled
with lakes and streams. In the area known as the ‘Marker Band’, Curiosity discovered
the rock textures, which were preserved in a layer of dark rock. This layer was 
so hard that the rover has been unable to drill a sample from it.

Scientists have also found a valley named Gediz Vallis which is thought to have 
been eroded by a small river, as well as wet landslides which sent car-size boulders
and debris to the bottom of the valley. Rocks collected by the rover also contained
organic carbon, which could have come from any bugs that may have roamed Mars in
the past.

Further evidence of the planet’s watery past includes a 3.5 billion-year-old shoreline
which covered thousands of square kilometres and layering in rocks which suggest
that Mars had periodic seasons. The discovery has captivated scientists, with Ashwin
Vasavada, Curiosity’s project scientist at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California,
commenting that ‘Mars’ ancient climate had a wonderful complexity to it, much like
Earth’s.’

These findings give rise to the possibility that life could have existed on Mars
in its ancient past, and the search continues for further evidence.

Share on: