An annotated version of the image of “Cheyava Falls” indicates the markings akin to leopard spots, which have particularly captivated scientists, and the olivine in the rock. The image was captured by the WATSON instrument on NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover on July 18, 2024.
Way back in July 2024, Perseverance found a rock with spotted with little circular discolorings in an old riverbed. Spots akin to leopard spots, a shape, which if found on Earth would mean life, microbial life but life none-the-less. Finding existence of previous life on Mars would be a HUGE thing.
Until life is proved to at least occurred once elsewhere, humanity doesn’t know if Earth’s living biosphere is a one-off fluke, or part of a possible larger web across the cosmos.
You would think scientists would be shouting this evidence of possible life from the highest mountains, but Mars isn’t Earth and the circles could mean anything. The first thing is to figure if there is any other way the rock could be discolored in this manner. Any rock formation process. Any geological process. Any weather process. Scientists have spent a year investigating.
And found nothing to discount their sacred search for life.
But still, to declare “life” (or even “compelling potential biosignature”) without examining the actual source isn’t part of a rigorous scientific process. If only the scientists could examine the rock directly…
Perseverance took a sample of the rock and stored it away in a little rock collection to be picked up and returned to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return program. Such a diligent little Rover; its beautiful rock collection all packaged up to return in 2033.
By Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech, Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=170682645
Core Sample #22 – “Sapphire Canyon” is the one with the “leopard spots” – second from right on the bottom
Well, life on Earth has changed and is changing. The plan to return a bunch of rocks isn’t flashy for politics, so the program is on the cutting board. All the work by Perseverance, a collection of dozens of small samples, waiting to be shown off to its parental-creators is likely to sit waiting, maybe forever. Plans change.
A leopard never changes its spots, but life does.
Bibliography
Holt, Cassian. “Mars leopard spots just popped up, and they resemble life signatures.” MSN.com. 5 January 2026. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/mars-leopard-spots-just-popped-up-and-they-resemble-life-signatures/ar-AA1TCd5H – last viewed 1/15/2026.
Kuthunur, Sharmila. “’Poppy seeds’ and ‘leopard spots’ on Mars could hit at ancient microbial life.” Space.com. 14 March 2025. https://www.space.com/space-exploration/search-for-life/poppy-seeds-and-leopard-spots-on-mars-could-hint-at-ancient-microbial-life – last viewed 1/15/2026.
Morelle, Rebecca. “Life on Mars? ‘Leopard-spot’ rocks could be biggest clue yet.” BBC. 10 September 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd725pj0g9ro – last viewed 1/15/2026.
NASA/JPL-Caltech. “Perseverance Finds a Rock with ‘Leopard Spots.’” NASA. 25 July 2024. https://science.nasa.gov/resource/perseverance-finds-a-rock-with-leopard-spots/ – last viewed 1/15/2026.
Nye, Bill. “New Findings Underscore Why We Must Explore.” The Planetary Report: A magazine of the Planetary Society. December 2026 V. 45, N. 04.
Pearson, Ezzy. “These strange markings are the ‘clearest sign’ of aliens on Mars, say NASA.” BBC Science Focus. 21 September 2025. https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/leopard-spots-alien-life-mars – last viewed 1/15/2026.
Wikipedia. “NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA-ESA_Mars_Sample_Return – last viewed 1/15/2026.