Accident of the ancient lake on Mars

NASA's probe is studying rocks that may be a trace of a lake that once existed on Mars.

The Opportunity probe of the US Aeronautics Agency (NASA) is examining rocks at the crater Endeavor on Mars in search of evidence of an ancient lake , the International Business Times reported on June 26. The team suspected that the stones identified by Opportunity were caused by a flood or local erosion due to wind.

Robot Opportunity photographed the area above the Perseverance valley.(Photo: NASA).

The blocks of stone lying outside the edge of the crater above the Perseverance valley , where deep into the slopes inside the land. Scientists are planning to bring Opportunity down to Perseverance valley after completing a survey around the area.

While a part of the Perseverance valley is a wide trench, the western part is a stretch of rock stretching along both sides of the flap, which is thought to be a water channel billions of years ago.

"We want to determine whether this rock originates in place or is delivered. According to the first hypothesis, this area is the end of a basin, where the lake is just outside the edge of the crater. A flood has You can bring the rocks, overflow the edge, and flow into the crater, erode the valley below, " said Ray Arvidson, independent researcher of the Opportunity mission at the University of Washington.

Exploratory robot recording dust whirlwinds of Mars surface islands. (Video: NASA).

"Another possibility is that the area is broken by the impact force during the crater formation Endeavor, then the rock is covered with cracks, and we are witnessing the impact of wind erosion on the filled crack. Arvidson explained.

The test results of rock holes in the crater will help NASA scientists learn the history of the area.