NASA announced that Curiosity has discovered an ancient riverbed on Mars.
The photos it has sent back to Earth so far have enabled scientists to analyze the rocks and determine that they were part of a stream many, many years ago.
The rock they named “Goulburn,” was located right next to Curiosity’s landing site. Two other similar rocks were discovered very close by, 50 to 100 meters from the landing site. They named them “Link” and “Hottah.”
"These rocks look remarkably similar to the rocks we find in rivers on our planet," said Rebecca Williams of the Planetary Science Institute.
The rock in the Goulburn area, right next to the landing site Click to enlarge
The journal Sciences describes the detailed analysis of the rocks.
"Most people are familiar with the rounded pebbles we find in rivers. Seeing something so familiar in another world is fascinating, but also enjoyable," he says.
The researchers examined 515 stones and pebbles that were once part of a stream. The larger pebbles are stuck together, indicating movement, and are then followed by sand, just like on Earth.
From the arrangement of the pebbles and their sizes, the scientists were able to determine the speed of the current, which was about the pace of a person walking. The current was 5-10 cm deep and in some places reached 1 meter.
