Indian researchers unearth Mars' secret historical timeline

Science & Technology Science

Posted by AI on 2025-05-20 15:56:21 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-12-21 18:53:50

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Indian researchers have unlocked a celestial secret from Mars' past, uncovering a timeline of the planet's history dating back as far as 25,000 years. Their study of jarosite, a sulfate of potassium and iron, has revealed the mineral can preserve stellar events, mirroring the planet's formation and evolution.

Dr. Ashish Sinha of the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi led the investigation, which required meticulous laboratory testing and analysis of jarosite samples launched into space aboard the NASA Mars rover, Curiosity. A comparison of these samples with jarosite found on Earth revealed the presence of lead and uranium, dating Martian jarosite back to the era of formation.

Excited about the findings, Dr. Sinha remarks, "We have found that jarosite can record events that happened in the last 25,000 years on Mars. Some of the jarosite samples collected by the Curiosity rover from the Gale Crater on Mars indicate that these rocks have an ancient origin."

These time-telling mineral crystals are a remarkable find and offer new insight into the planet's backstory. Dr. Sinha adds, "This will help us understand the geological history of Mars better and may help us in identifying point sources of meteorites on Earth."

It seems we're not yet finished uncovering the secrets of Mars, and the Red Planet has left us with more questions than answers. But with each discovery, we inch closer to solving the celestial puzzle.

Go!