Perseverance finds potential biosignatures in Jezero Crater

Perseverance finds potential biosignatures in Jezero Crater

NASA’s Perseverance rover has made one of its most intriguing discoveries yet in Jezero Crater. A rock sample called Sapphire Canyon, drilled from the Bright Angel formation, contains unusual chemical and mineral patterns that may be potential biosignatures.

We begin with remarks from Morgan Cable, research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and co–deputy principal investigator of the PIXL instrument on Perseverance, in a video released alongside NASA’s September 10, 2025 announcement. Then, host Sarah Al-Ahmed speaks with Joel Hurowitz, associate professor of geosciences at Stony Brook University and deputy principal investigator of the PIXL instrument on Perseverance, who is also the lead author of the new Nature paper detailing the findings. Hurowitz explains how textures nicknamed "poppy seeds" and "leopard spots" connect organic carbon with minerals like vivianite and greigite, and why these could represent some of the most compelling evidence yet for ancient microbial life on Mars.

Finally, in this week’s What’s Up, Bruce Betts, The Planetary Society’s chief scientist, joins Sarah to explore earlier moments in the history of Mars exploration when tantalizing hints of life sparked scientific and public excitement.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-perseverence-biosignatures

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jaksot(1324)

ESCAPADE begins its journey to Mars

ESCAPADE begins its journey to Mars

NASA’s twin ESCAPADE spacecraft have finally launched on their journey to Mars. Designed to study how the solar wind interacts with Mars’ patchy magnetic fields and drives the loss of its atmosphere, ...

3 Joulu 20251h 6min

Smart Girl Dumb Questions: Casey Dreier answers why space is worth it

Smart Girl Dumb Questions: Casey Dreier answers why space is worth it

This week on Planetary Radio, we’re sharing a special conversation from our friends at the Smart Girl Dumb Questions podcast. Host Nayeema Raza sits down with The Planetary Society’s Chief of Space Po...

26 Marras 20251h

Book Club Edition: The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America by David Baron

Book Club Edition: The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America by David Baron

There was a time when almost everyone, from Alexander Graham Bell to the Wall Street Journal, believed there was a supremely intelligent civilization on Mars, one that was probably trying to talk to E...

21 Marras 20251h 3min

Epic Spaceman: Making cosmic scale human

Epic Spaceman: Making cosmic scale human

When his filmmaking career stalled during the pandemic, Toby Lockerbie turned to the one place that had never stopped inspiring him: the Universe. With no background in visual effects, he taught himse...

19 Marras 202559min

The Planetary Society goes to TwitchCon 2025

The Planetary Society goes to TwitchCon 2025

The Planetary Society heads to TwitchCon 2025 to explore how scientists and educators use livestreaming to share the excitement of discovery. We begin with Moohoodles, one of Twitch’s pioneering space...

12 Marras 20251h 1min

Space Policy Edition: Should a (potential) biosignature revive Mars Sample Return?

Space Policy Edition: Should a (potential) biosignature revive Mars Sample Return?

In 1996, a controversial claim of fossilized life in a Martian meteorite ignited a golden age of Mars exploration. Nearly 30 years later, a potential biosignature detected by the Perseverance rover at...

7 Marras 20251h 21min

Do Aliens Speak Physics?

Do Aliens Speak Physics?

If we ever meet intelligent extraterrestrials, will we even be able to talk about physics? Physicist Daniel Whiteson of UC Irvine and cartoonist Andy Warner join Sarah Al-Ahmed to explore one of scien...

5 Marras 202559min

Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean

Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean

What happens in space doesn’t stay in space. Historian Dagomar Degroot joins Planetary Radio host Sarah Al-Ahmed to explore how shifting solar cycles, volcanic eruptions on Venus, Martian dust storms,...

29 Loka 20251h 9min

Suosittua kategoriassa Tiede

tiedekulma-podcast
rss-mita-tulisi-tietaa
rss-poliisin-mieli
rss-duodecim-lehti
docemilia
mielipaivakirja
filocast-filosofian-perusteet
rss-metsantuntijat-podcast
rss-ylistys-elaimille
university-of-eastern-finland
utelias-mieli
radio-antro
rss-bios-podcast
rss-ranskaa-raakana
rss-astetta-parempi-elama-podcast
rss-tiedetta-vai-tarinaa
rss-luontopodi-samuel-glassar-tutkii-luonnon-ihmeita
rss-lihavuudesta-podcast
rss-sosiopodi