NASA reported new research on September 21 showing that rocks in Mars’s Jezero Crater preserve evidence of multiple interactions with water. Perseverance found igneous rock in an area where the team had expected lake-related sedimentary material.

Changes in the rock’s minerals helped researchers reconstruct at least three episodes of water activity. The findings inform the investigation of ancient habitability and the search for preserved signs of microbial life. The accompanying rover panorama was captured in 2023; the research announcement is from September 2026.

Source: NASA / Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Image: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS. Actual 2023 rover panorama used with 2026 research coverage. Image source · License / usage terms.