Meridiani Planum

Mars · geology · ancient water

A Martian plain. Meridiani Planum is a huge flat area that spreads across Mars right at its equator, kind of like how the equator divides Earth.

Hidden water underground. Beneath the surface sits an enormous pile of sediments, which are layers of rock and dust that contain water frozen or bound inside them, suggesting Mars once had liquid water.

Grey hematite spherules. Scientists found tiny ball-shaped rocks made of grey hematite, an iron oxide mineral, scattered across the plain, and these are evidence that water flowed there long ago.

A treasure for rovers. This location is so scientifically important that NASA's Opportunity rover landed here in 2004 to study the rocks and search for signs of ancient Martian life.