After a discovery made with new data from Curiosity and comparing it with previous research, it was possible to observe evidence that the water on Mars lasted longer than previously thought. What can be a justification for finding precious opals on Mars in a dry lake that existed a long time ago in this planet.
Precious Opals Found on Mars
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Check now how researchers found gems on Mars:
1. Finding Precious Opals on Mars
Upon finding some fractures in the soil of the planet Mars, scientists already suspected the presence of precious opals, as that in these fractures there were some "halos" of very clear rock, which was evidence for the presence from them.
For opals to form, water needs to interact with rocks rich in silica, so it is believed that this is exactly what happened on the red planet. Given this, the theory that there were microbial life forms on Mars a long time ago can be confirmed from this discovery.
2. How did the discovery begin?
So that researchers could discover precious opals on Mars, they started looking for neutrons knocked off the surface of the planet by cosmic rays. As a result, when interacting with hydrogen, these neutrons began to reduce their speed and that was how astronomers were able to identify the existence of these gems.
It is also believed that from these samples of Martian terrain, the water that still existed in Gale Crater continued to exist long after the lake had evaporated. Therefore, life that would have existed in the lake in question could have lasted about 2.9 billion years ago.
3. Find out what precious opal is
Precious opal is a mineral that draws attention to its colors and unique appearance, which makes it a precious stone. Currently, the largest producer of this gem is Australia, followed by Brazil.