NASA's Mars rover discovers "fascinating rocks everywhere" at the crater's edge.

The ascent of the Perseverance rover along the edge of Jezero Crater, which took three and a half months, has proven to be very promising, according to NASA reports. The exploration has revealed a fascinating variety of rocks that warrant detailed examination. Katie Stack Morgan, a scientist on the Perseverance project at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, highlighted that unlike previous scientific campaigns in Jezero, where finding notably different rocks could take months, there are now intriguing rocks everywhere. "It's been everything we hoped for and more," she stated.

The rover's ongoing work is allowing scientists to delve into the history and evolution of Mars, with the ultimate goal of determining whether any form of life has ever existed on the planet. Perseverance completed its ascent in December 2024, climbing 500 meters while conducting various scientific observations. Since it began exploring the crater's edge in January, it has collected five rock samples that could be brought to Earth in the future for more detailed laboratory studies. Additionally, it has carried out thorough analyses of seven rocks and activated a laser on another 83 to examine them from a distance.

Scientists have found that the western edge of the crater is particularly promising, as ancient meteorite impacts have altered the underlying rocks, bringing them to the surface. Perseverance collected its first rock sample from the crater edge, called "Silver Mountain," shortly after reaching the summit. This rock is believed to have formed at least 3.9 billion years ago during Mars' oldest geological period and may have been shattered and recrystallized due to an ancient meteorite impact. Researchers suggest that this could be the oldest sample collected by the rover to date.

The Perseverance mission began in 2021 when it spectacularly landed on the Martian surface, an event documented in detail by the rover's cameras and the spacecraft that transported it. Since its arrival at Jezero Crater, it has been exploring the crater floor and the site of an ancient river delta, chosen for being the location of a former lake. The collected rock samples will help unravel information about the history of water on Mars, crucial for understanding whether the planet may have been habitable in the past.

Recent additional findings from the rover include fascinating clues suggesting the possible existence of microbial life on Mars. Although there is currently no known life on the planet, it is believed that in the past, Mars was similar to Earth. Perseverance has recovered rock samples that display chemical signatures and physical structures that could have been generated by life, such as the presence of organic compounds, which are essential for life but can also form through other processes.