Mars has long been seen as a barren wasteland, but a stunning new discovery by NASA’s Perseverance rover suggests the Red Planet might have been far more hospitable in the past. Scientists have found kaolinite,

Since its arrival on the Martian surface five years ago, NASA’s Perseverance rover has been busy scouring the Red Planet for signs of life and evidence of Mars’ watery history. Now, thanks to its continued exploration, NASA might know exactly where to look for evidence of life on Mars, and it all begins with quartz crystals.

The intriguing chemistry of a rock collected by the Perseverance rover could trace to microbial activity—or not