The possibility of having life on Mars is getting stronger day by day. Meanwhile, scientists believe that once upon a time there was a source of water on the planet. This possibility seems to be getting true. New recent research on the planet provides evidence about the existence of Dry Lake Beds. It has further confirmed that there was once a lot of water on the Red Planet.
China's Jurong Rover has provided evidence of dry lake beds on Mars. The rover has gathered evidence that confirms that water used to flow on Mars much earlier than expected. The Jurong rover landed at a field on the northern hemisphere of Mars on May 15, 2021. This plain is known as Utopia Planitia.
Earlier in 1976, the US space agency NASA had landed the Viking-2 lander on Utopia Planitia. The purpose of China's Jurong Rover, launched in 2021, was to find ancient evidence from Mars that could confirm the possibility of life on the planet. Over the past months, the rover has gathered data by examining minerals, the environment, and the water and ice spread across the plain.
Based on these data, it is confirmed that Utopia Planitia had water earlier. Scientists have always believed that billions of years ago, Mars was a hot and water-rich planet that over time turned into an icy desert. Scientists refer to this era as Amazonian Era, which, according to them, happened around 3 billion years ago.
The data collected by Jurong Rover was carefully analyzed by astrophysicists. They found the presence of hydrated silica and sulfates on the surface of the Mars. Lead author Yang, who authored the research, said that the presence of these hydrated minerals is the evidence that once upon a time there was water on the red planet.
