NASA's Curiosity Rover Reveals Evidence of Ancient Water on Mars

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NASA's Curiosity rover has captured significant close-up images of Martian geology, providing "dramatic evidence" suggesting that water once flowed on the planet. The newly documented ridges, observed in a "boxwork pattern," are believed to be remnants of ancient groundwater activity on Mount Sharp, according to a NASA news release.

The rover, which has been exploring Gale Crater since its 2012 landing, highlights features that had previously been seen only from orbit. These formations indicate that Mars may have once housed rivers, lakes, and possibly an ocean, but later transitioned to its current arid state.

Curiosity's project scientist, Ashwin Vasavada, commented on the uniqueness of the patterning, stating, "A big mystery is why the ridges were hardened into these big patterns and why only here." The patterns include small fractures filled with calcium sulfate, which had not been previously located in this region of Mount Sharp.

NASA continues to analyze these findings as Curiosity further ascends the mountain, searching for clues about past life-sustaining environments on Mars.

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