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Astrobiology: Latest News


2004-03-20 | MISSIONS
Mineral in Mars 'Berries' Adds to Water Story

Opportunity's Moessbauer spectrometer has identified a big difference between a batch of small, rock-embedded spherules and a spherule-free area of underlying rock. The spherules, fancifully referred to as blueberries, contain iron-bearing minerals, a telltale sign of hematite. The discovery of hematite in the blueberries supports the idea that they are concretions that grew inside water-soaked deposits.

With both Spirit and Opportunity now on Mars, researchers with NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission have begun to search for clues about the history of water on Mars. Because life as we know it requires water to survive, understanding the history of water on Mars can tell scientists a great deal about the potential for past or present life on the Red Planet.


More on this story

Full text of original item from NASA - JPL, Mar 20, 2004

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The preceding news links are provided as a public service for interested users. The views and claims expressed in external internet sites are not necessarily those of NASA.

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