NEW 3 / SECOND QUARTER / Caterina Krauchuk

The greatest discoveries from NASA’s Mars Opportunity Rover

NASA's Opportunity Rover died recently, but we still mantain and praise its discoveries:

First of all, Heat Shield.

Opportunity discovered the first meteorite on Mars. It's mostly made of nickel and iron, a type of meteorite that's rarely found on Earth.

Secondly, blueberries on Mars.

Opportunity didn't find fruit, but bluish stones excited scientists. Opportunity discovered stones that contained the minerals hematite and jarosite, which only form when rocks are exposed to acidic water, so we can assume that Mars once had abundant surface water.

Thirdly, water.

Opportunity second venture was into the deep Endurance crater. Enduranc'es clifss showed layers of rock, some laid down in watery times and others during dry periods, showing a varied history of Martian water. More hematite dotted Victoria Crater's ridge, indicating it had been thrown there during the impact that formed the crater. Scientists think that these minerals formed underground, suggesting that water soaked through the surface and stayed there long enough to form the minerals. All of this water would been salty and acidic.

Fourthly, freshwater find.

At the edge of Endeavour Crater, Opportunity found its first signs of non-acidic water that would have been conducive to life and there was a lot of it. The walls of Endeavor held abundances of clays that only form in neutral water, life could've had a chance on early Mars.

And last, Marathon Runner.

In March 2015, Opportunity celebrated the completion of its first marathon, or 26.2 miles. By 2018, it had traveled just over 28 miles, and still holds the record for the most traveled off-world rover.

- Link of reference: http://www.astronomy.com/news/2019/02/the-greatest-discoveries-from-nasas-mars-opportunity-rover

- Date: February 13, 2019.

- Scientific scope: Astronomy.

- Glossary: Conducive: making a certain situation or outcome likely or possible.

Cliffs: a steep rock face, especially at the edge of the sea.

- Commentary: It's a little sad that we don't have anymore the Opportunity Rover, but now we can take advantatge of what we discovered with it.

Finally we can say yes to water on Mars, maybe not now, but at the earlier Mars the existence of it was real, and that's one of the best discoveries of Opportunity.

Now we need to take action and watch with our eyes all that Oopporunity Rover bringed to us by pictures.