“This is an open book of history of water flowing on this planet!”

Seven months after the diligent robot landed on Mars, French researchers describe their first observations in an article published in the Thursday, October 7 issue. Science. They confirm it: there was actually a lake where the rover landed last February. Scientists named him Jessaro. This large crater was chosen diligently because from above, researchers suspected that it was an ancient lake. The rover’s camera, developed by Sylvester Morris, an astronomer in Toulouse, has refined their observations.

“As soon as we landed, He says, We turn on our cameras, we turn on our lasers, and we aim at a mountain in the distance. And the spectacular picture jumped out at us. We see the story of a lake overflowing through the delta, followed by a catastrophic flow. “

“This lake is a closed lake, about 35 kilometers in diameter: it is very large, about twice the area of ​​Lake Geneva.”

Sylvester Maurice, astronomer

To Francispo

Unlike Lake Geneva, the water in the Jazaro Valley disappeared three billion years ago. But sediments are a gold mine for astronomers.“We will soon be back on the road, towards the delta, precisely, towards these rocks which we have seen, The astronomer continues. We are going to see more and more magical, more sedimentary things. This is actually an open book on the history of water flowing on Mars! ”

Diligence has already collected three samples of Mars rock. Scientists believe it could carry at least twenty people to Earth in ten years.