Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.

NASA’s Perseverance rover made a thrilling discovery on Mars: a rock sample containing minerals that on Earth are tied to microbial life. While not proof, it is one of the strongest clues yet that Mars may have once hosted organisms.

On the Red Planet, aurorae glow green because the charged particles collide with oxygen atoms high above Mars. They may be bright enough that astronauts on Mars could spot them with their naked eye. Here on Earth, it’s usually helpful to have a telescope or even a phone camera filter to really see the aurora.

While the early climate of Mars remains an open question, a new study suggests that its atmosphere may have been hospitable to life due to volcanic activity that emitted sulfur gases that contributed to a greenhouse warming effect.