Tour the viewpoints

The 49 km Jezero Crater (viewpoint crater centre) once hosted an ancient lake fed by two prominent valleys (viewpoints Naretva and Sava Vallis), with Perseverance targeting a region close to one of the river deltas (viewpoints Delta top and basement). Within the delta deposits, numerous water-bearing minerals have been observed from orbit, indicating that liquid water was once present for an extended period of time, perhaps up to 250 m depth.

The deltas are a prime target to look for ancient biomarkers. Meanwhile an outflow channel (viewpoint Outflow channel) breaks through the eastern rim of Jezero. The presence of both inflow and outflow channels suggest the crater was constantly replenished with fresh water.

The Mountain View viewpoint on top of a larger hill in the southeast offers a perfect vista into the crater. From here, the observer can see that the northern part of the crater floor is sloping and that the northern crater rim is clearly less defined, compared to the flat, smooth crater floor in the south and the much steeper southern crater rim flanks. This appearance originates from the erosion of material in the catchment areas to the north of the crater, which was then transported into the crater basin itself and deposited in the deltas. Also contributing to the asymmetrical topography is the erosion of the northern crater rim, caused by the river valleys breaking through the flank of Jezero.

Read more about the region