NASA's Perseverance rover finds potential traces of life on Mars

NASA's Perseverance rover has discovered a rock on Mars that could be evidence of ancient life on the planet. The sample, found on 21 July, comes from a former river valley and contains chemical features and structures that could have been created by microbes billions of years ago.

Here's What We Know

The stone has large white bands of calcium sulphate and millimetre-long leopard spots, which can form on Earth through chemical reactions.

According to Katie Stack Morgan, deputy project scientist, the sample needs to be returned to Earth for detailed testing to confirm these assumptions.

The Mars Sample Return mission is delayed and will not be able to deliver the samples until 2040. NASA is looking for alternative ways to speed up the process. Scientists also need to carry out detailed analyses to rule out non-biological processes before declaring the possibility of ancient life on Mars.

Source: NASA