Since its arrival on the Martian surface five years ago, NASA’s Perseverance rover has been busy scouring the Red Planet for signs of life and evidence of Mars’ watery history. Now, thanks to its continued exploration, NASA might know exactly where to look for evidence of life on Mars, and it all begins with quartz crystals.

NASA’s Perseverance rover has uncovered high-purity quartz crystals on Mars, a discovery that could reshape the search for ancient life on the Red Planet. The crystals, along with other minerals such as opal,

The intriguing chemistry of a rock collected by the Perseverance rover could trace to microbial activity — or not.

The intriguing chemistry of a rock collected by the Perseverance rover could trace to microbial activity—or not