World News Mars rover finds signs of ancient stream

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The NASA rover Curiosity has beamed back pictures of bedrock that suggest a fast-moving stream, possibly waist-deep, once flowed on Mars.

There have been previous signs that water existed on the red planet long ago, but the images released Sept. 27 showing pebbles rounded off, likely by water, offered the most convincing evidence so far of an ancient streambed.

There was "a vigorous flow on the surface of Mars," said chief scientist John Grotzinger of the California Institute of Technology. "We're really excited about this."

The discovery did not come as a complete surprise. NASA decided to plunk Curiosity down inside Gale Crater near the Martian equator because photos from space hinted that the spot possessed a watery past. The six-wheeled rover safely landed Aug. 5 after a nail-biting plunge through the Martian atmosphere. It's on a two-year, $2.5-billion (200-billion yen) mission to study whether the Martian environment could have been favorable for microbial life. (AP)

火星探査機、水の流れの痕跡を発見

ＮＡＳＡは27日、火星探査機「キュリオシティ」がかつて火星に水が流れていたことを示す痕跡を発見したと発表した。

Shukan ST: OCTOBER 12, 2012

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