Scientists Locate Perfect Spot for Mars Mission Seeking Alien Life

Jezero Crater, located near the Martian equator, brimmed with fresh water some 4 billion years ago, making the ancient lake the perfect spot to land NASA's 2020 rover mission to Mars, aimed at finding traces of life on the Red Planet.

Researchers from the Brown University studied detailed geological and mineralogical maps of the area, taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. They identified several channels that could have brought water to the lake and beyond. Later studies revealed deposits full of clay minerals stored in the channels.

Ancient Martian lake system records two water-related events https://t.co/Li7t3ftqs9

— Brown University (@BrownUniversity) 25 Март 2015

The findings, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, suggest that there were two separate instances of water activity in Jezero. First, alteration minerals formed in the watershed, then they were transported into the lake.

The findings also support the theory that Mars was once wetter, meaning the planet could have possibly harbored life. Moreover, the water at Jezero is estimated to have been fresh with a neutral pH, also a requirement for an environment suitable for life.

Researchers are unsure when the latest water activity at Jezero took place, saying it ended approximately 3.8 billion years ago. It also remains unclear how long liquid water could have existed on the surface of the barren planet. The findings suggest that water activity largely took place in the subsurface crust.

Slopes of a Crater to the North of Jezero Crater | BEAUTIFUL MARS http://t.co/Ri9erwKdTU @HiRISE.

— Mizuho.Iwata. (@iwatamizuho) 18 декабря 2014

The crater is already on NASA's top five list of possible landing sites for the new science rover mission scheduled to be launched in 2020.