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Traces of clay found in Martian rock tested by Curosity rover

Wednesday, Mar 13, 2013, 15:41 IST | Agency: ANI

NASA's Curosity rover, which is testing Mars rock, has found traces of clay - that points to a watery past.

The tenuous atmosphere of Mars, visible on the horizon in this low-orbit photo

NASA’s Curosity rover, which is testing Mars rock, has found traces of clay - that points to a watery past.

At a briefing at NASA’s Washington headquarters, NASA scientists have revealed that the rock contains clay minerals that formed in a watery environment - an environment that may be favourable for microscopic organisms, the Daily Telegraph reported

Curiosity that made a dramatic landing near the Mars equator last August for a two-year mission had already found a hint of the planet’s watery past - an ancient streambed that the six-wheel rover crossed to get to the flat bedrock

It is the first spacecraft sent to Mars that could collect a sample from deep inside a rock.