NASA's Perseverance rover has achieved a significant milestone in its mission on the red planet, reaching 1000 Martian days since its arrival in February 2021. The advanced rover, equipped with cutting-edge technology, has made substantial progress in its quest to uncover evidence of past life on Mars.
To commemorate the 1000 Martian days on the surface of the red planet, NASA's rover recently completed its exploration of an ancient river delta that holds clues to a lake that filled Jezero Crater billions of years ago. "Sol in, sol out! I completed 1,000 Martian days…and my work is far from done. Learn more about my unique rock collection, travels across Jezero Crater’s ancient river and lake system, and what’s next for my exploration plans," the rover tweeted on December 13, 2023.
It is noted that a Martian day is slightly longer than an Earth day, measuring 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35.2 seconds. So far, Perseverance, with its six wheels, has collected a total of 23 samples, revealing the geological history of this region on Mars. One sample named "Lefroy Bay" contains a high amount of fine-grained silica, a material known for preserving ancient fossils on Earth. Another sample called "Otis Peak" contains a significant amount of phosphate, which is often associated with life as we know it. Both samples are also rich in carbonates, which can preserve a record of environmental conditions since the rock formed.
These discoveries were shared on Tuesday, December 12, at the American Geophysical Union's fall meeting in San Francisco.
