A visiting scientist from NASA will discuss the evidence of life on Mars at a free community lecture on Wednesday, May 5, in Bozeman. Dave Des Marais of NASA’s Ames Research Center in California will discuss why researchers believe that habitable environments probably existed on Mars more than three billion years ago. The Opportunity rover found evidence of saline lakes and groundwater on Mars, while the Spirit rover discovered rocks altered by liquid water and pure silica formed by hydrothermal activity. Orbiters have discovered widespread additional mineralogical evidence of ancient watery environments. The free public lecture begins at 7 p.m. at the Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture, 111 S. Grand Avenue in Bozeman. Light refreshments will be served.
The presentation is part of the Community Lecture Series sponsored by Montana State University’s Thermal Biology Institute, Astrobiology Biogeocatalysis Research Center and NSF-EPSCoR.