Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An orbiting spacecraft has discovered a key mineral in bedrock on the surface of Mars that suggests the planet might once have had an environment hospitable to life, scientists reported today.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter detected carbonate mineral in rock outcrops in Nili Fossae, a region of valleys that have cut into the planet's ancient crust, suggesting the area was not as harsh as other places on Mars.
The mineral, which forms in the presence of water, had previously been detected in trace amounts in Martian dust and soil.
But its presence in bedrock indicates water there was not as acidic and thus more hospitable to life.
The region "would have really been a clement, benign environment for early Martian life," said mission scientist Bethany Ehlmann of Brown University.
The results were presented yesterday at an American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco and will appear today in the journal Science.
Scientists planning the next Mars landing - the Mars Science Laboratory - initially considered Nili Fossae as a potential landing site, but it did not make the final cut.
The launch of the lab is set for 2011.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments