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Mars rover discovers more evidence of past water

More signs of past water on Mars have been uncovered by NASA's Curiosity rover.

Powder drilled from a Martian rock last week revealed evidence of drinkable water and conditions that would once have been favourable to life on the Red Planet.

The grayish to bluish internal colour on this broken rock shows evidence of water-bearing minerals Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/ASU

Now instruments on the rover have found more water-bearing minerals in the wider area around the rock.

The new discoveries were made using the infrared imaging capability of Curiosity's mast camera, and an instrument that shoots neutron particles into the ground to probe for hydrogen.

It is further evidence that the Yellowknife Bay area of Gale Crater that the rover is now exploring was once a river system or lake that could have supported life.