The Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars in 2012, has been exploring different aspects of Gale Crater on Mars to understand more about this transition from warm and wet to dry and very cold.
The latest study, gathered from data captured by one of the rover's instruments, suggests that Mars actually transitioned back and forth between wetter and drier times before losing its surface water completely around three billion years ago.
An instrument called a ChemCam sits on the rover's mast and includes a high-resolution camera and laser that can vaporize rocks to help the rover analyze their chemical composition. ChemCam has an infrared-colored laser that can heat rock pieces to 18,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This vaporizes the rock and creates plasma, allowing scientists to essentially look inside the minerals and chemicals comprising the rock and peer back into the planet's geologic history.
"A primary goal of the Curiosity mission was to study the transition between the habitable environment of the past, to the dry and cold climate that Mars has now. These rock layers recorded that change in great detail," said Roger Wiens, study co-author on the paper and ChemCam team scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, in a statement.Orbiters around Mars have previously recorded information about the minerals within Mount Sharp's slopes.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NASA's Ingenuity helicopter makes historic 1st flight on Mars | CBC NewsNASA's experimental Mars helicopter Ingenuity has achieved the first powered, controlled flight on another planet.
Read more »
NASA’s Mars helicopter achieves first powered flight by an aircraft on another planetThe Ingenuity helicopter’s brief hop above the dusty red surface of Mars was hailed as a Wright Brothers moment
Read more »
NASA's Mars Ingenuity helicopter achieves first powered, controlled flight on another planetNASA's experimental Mars helicopter Ingenuity has achieved the first powered, controlled flight on another planet.
Read more »
Mars helicopter's first flight could happen on MondayThe Ingenuity helicopter is preparing for its historic flight on Mars Monday if everything goes according to plan. The first powered, controlled flight on another planet will take place at 3:30 a.m. ET on April 19, according to NASA.
Read more »