These rocks turned out to contain a mineral called kaolinite, which on Earth forms in warm, rainy environments or near hot springs—places that are ideal for life. Wiens estimates that the rocks ...

Scientists have found kaolinite, a mineral that forms in warm, wet conditions on Earth, raising serious questions about Mars’ ancient climate and its potential to have once supported life.

It wasn’t until scientists directed the rover’s SuperCam instrument at them that they made a startling realization: the rocks ...