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Ancient Lakebed [1]

Ancient rocks are stacked like the layers of a cake in this recent image from the Curiosity rover on Mars. Mission scientists say the layers probably formed several billion years ago, at or near the mouth of a river, as the river deposited sediments carried from up stream. The images confirm that Curiosity's surroundings, inside a large crater, were once warm and wet, providing a possible habitat for life. This image, which is in false color, spans about five feet, so each rock layer is no more than an inch or two thick. [NASA/JPL/MSSS]

Curiosity rover view of rock layers inside Gale Crater on Mars
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Source URL: https://stardate.org/astro-guide/gallery/ancient-lakebed

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[1] https://stardate.org/astro-guide/gallery/ancient-lakebed
[2] https://stardate.org/grade-level/grades-3-5-ages-8-10
[3] https://stardate.org/subject-areas/fine-arts
[4] https://stardate.org/subject-areas/science