Gale from Mars, which is being investigated by the robot Curiosity, sheltered lake billion years ago, which is a clear indication that the Red Planet once had a wet environment conducive to microbial life, announced on Monday researchers said on Monday.
Researchers have discovered rock layers containing sediments transported by water, inclined towards the center of the crater, which is currently Sharp mountain, about 5,000 meters high. This could mean that there would be no mountaintop ago about 3.5 billion years ago, when the crater was filled with water, according to experts working with the rover Curiosity.
"The discovery was inclined layers ... a surprise," said chief scientist John Grotzinger of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
"... Is a sedimentary geology peak method to try to understand the Earth. When the oil companies collect seismic data from several regions, they actually seek inclined layers ... and thus obtain a geometry which tells you where the rocks you seek, "added Grotzinger.
Shortly after reaching Mars rover has discovered that the planet once had chemical ingredients and environmental conditions necessary to support microbial life, thus fulfilling the primary purpose of his mission.
The robot began to move to Mount Sharp to search for other niches that could host life and to find out if there habitable environment long enough to allow it to evolve, otherwise a very complicated question, since scientists do not know how to take life to emerge and dominate Earth.
Size lake Gale, duration and sediments carried by water support the idea that it was enough time for life to emerge and thrive, said scientist Michael Meyer, working at NASA's Mars exploration program.
New studies that have not yet been published, shows a series of wet and dry times of Gale, contradicting a previous hypothesis that period when Mars had a warm and humid climate was relatively short, the researchers said. "All that travel on the surface of Mars took us to Mount Sharp. We provided the necessary context to better appreciate Mount Sharp," said Grotzinger about rover who traveled about eight kilometers on Mars, after reaching the surface planet in August 2012.
Arriving in the equatorial region of Mars Gale Crater on August 6 2012, Curiosity, the most sophisticated robot explorer ever sent people on another planet, has already shown that Mars was habitable removed microbial her past.
Curiosity robot, developed at a total cost of $ 2.5 billion, is operated by engineers at NASA's Laboratory in Pasadena California.
Lowering spectacular six-wheel robot American Gale, 10 kilometers from Mount Sharp, on the night of 5 to 6 August 2012 taking into account the weight of almost a ton, required a new technique, complex soil placement . This operation showed that NASA can carry large loads safely on Mars.
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