NASA rover image shows signs of Mars flood waters

NASA rover image shows signs of Mars floodwaters

A photo taken in April shows boulders possibly carried by rushing water
The composite image is made up of three enhanced photos
It's the result of an effort to learn about Mars' geology and past climate

Updated: Dec 27, 2023 / 03:12 PM EST

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover captured this mosaic of a location nicknamed “Castell Henllys” using its Mastcam-Z camera on April 13, 2023, the 763rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

(NewsNation) — Strong floodwaters on Mars may have carried a set of boulders to their current location billions of years ago, according to NASA.

The agency’s Perseverance Mars rover photographed the boulders on April 13 and NASA released the composite image earlier this month.

It depicts round boulders that may have been pushed into Jezero Crater during one of three major periods of lake and river development in the ancient past, according to NASA.

The Perseverance rover is in search of signs of ancient microbial life on Mars, among other discoveries, NASA said in a statement.

It’s also working to gather information about the planet’s geology and past climate to pave the way for human exploration.