Jezero Crater Archives

One of the navigation cameras on NASA’s Perseverance captured the rover’s tracks coming from an area called “Witch Hazel Hill,” on May 13, 2025, the 1,503rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release

Perseverance Mars Rover Explores Krokodillen Region Of Jezero Crater

by Keith CowingMay 20, 2025May 20, 2025

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is exploring a new region of interest the team is calling “Krokodillen” that may contain some of the oldest rocks on Mars. The area has been […]

The robotic arm on NASA's Perseverance Mars rover used its percussive drill to core and collect the "Main River" rock sample on March 10, 2025, the 1,441st Martian day, or sol, of the mission. NASA ID: PIA26571 larger image

Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return

Perseverance Astrobiology Droid Cores ‘Main River’ On Mars

by Keith CowingMay 14, 2025May 14, 2025

The time-lapse movie, taken by one of the rover’s hazard cameras, is made up of 35 images taken over the course of 34 minutes. Animation available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26571

A, C 3D view of the sheet unit overlying the fragmented breccia unit at the eastern rim of the Ritchey crater, HiRISE image on HRSC DEM (architected from Fig. 1C, D). B, D The impactite stratigraphy at Aumühle outcrop, Ries crater (B, Germany) and Mistastin lake impact structure (D, Canada). Photo D by Cassandra Marion in 2021 at Coté Creek (https://craterexplorer.ca/mistastin-impact-crater/). -- Nature Communications via PubMed

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Impact events, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report

Hydrothermal Activity Generated By Impact Melt Emplacement On The Rim Of Ritchey Crater, Mars

by Keith CowingMay 3, 2025May 3, 2025

Impact-induced hydrothermal systems have the potential to sustain long-lived aqueous environments throughout the history of Mars, yet their nature and distribution are not well-understood.

A close-up of the rock, nicknamed “Rochette”. Larger image -- NASA

Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Press Release

New Study Unveils Volcanic History And Clues To Ancient Life On Mars

by Keith CowingApril 21, 2025April 21, 2025

In a groundbreaking study co-authored by a Texas A&M University scientist, researchers have revealed new insights into the geological history of Mars’ Jezero Crater, the landing site of NASA’s Perseverance […]

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return

Mars Perseverance Sample: Green Gardens

by Keith CowingApril 11, 2025April 11, 2025

This image shows a cylinder of rock the size of a piece of classroom chalk inside the drill of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. The sample, dubbed “Green Gardens,” was taken […]

Martian surface outside of Jezero Crater taken by NASA’s Perseverance on Dec. 25, 2024, at the site where the rover cored a sample dubbed “Silver Mountain” from a rock likely formed during Mars’ earliest geologic period. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS larger image

Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs

Perseverance Studies The Rim Of Jezero Crater

by Keith CowingApril 10, 2025April 10, 2025

Scientists with NASA’s Perseverance rover are exploring what they consider a veritable Martian cornucopia full of intriguing rocky outcrops on the rim of Jezero Crater. Studying rocks, boulders, and outcrops […]

This image from NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover, a fusion-processed SuperCam Remote Micro Imager (RMI) mosaic, shows part of the “St. Pauls Bay” target, acquired from the lower Witch Hazel Hill area of the Jezero crater rim. The image reveals hundreds of strange, spherical-shaped objects comprising the rock. Perseverance acquired this image on March 11, 2025, or sol 1442 — Martian day 1,442 of the Mars 2020 mission. NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP. Larger image

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release

Mars Perseverance Examines A Rock With Hundreds Of Millimeter-sized Spheres

by Keith CowingMarch 25, 2025March 25, 2025

Last week the Perseverance Science Team were astonished by a strange rock comprised of hundreds of millimeter-sized spheres and the team are now working hard to understand their origin.

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover took this selfie in July 2024. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return

Documenting The First Mars Mission Soil Samples

by Keith CowingFebruary 7, 2025February 7, 2025

A new paper released today documents the first soil, airfall dust, and rock fragment samples collected by NASA for return from Mars. We checked in with the UNLV astrobiologist leading […]

NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image of its 26th collected rock sample, “Silver Mountain,” using its onboard Sample Caching System Camera (CacheCam), located inside the rover underbelly. It looks down into the top of a sample tube to take close-up pictures of the sampled material and the tube as it’s prepared for sealing and storage. This image was acquired on Jan. 28, 2025 — sol 1401, or Martian day 1,401 of the Mars 2020 mission — at the local mean solar time of 18:49:01.-- NASA/JPL-Caltech larger image

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return

Mars Perseverance Collects A Noachian-aged Outcrop Sample

by Keith CowingFebruary 7, 2025February 7, 2025

The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover continues to live up to its name, pushing forward in search of ancient Martian secrets. Following a brief period of system verification and remote testing, […]

Ascent Vehicle lifts off from Mars -- NASA

Astrogeology, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report

Perspectives On Mars Sample Return: A Critical Resource For Planetary Science And Exploration

by Keith CowingJanuary 28, 2025January 28, 2025

Mars Sample Return (MSR) has been the highest flagship mission priority in the last two Planetary Decadal Surveys of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (hereafter, “the National […]