Hamptons Observatory

LXCL:Thank you for your interest in the free, virtual lecture, "The Discovery of a Potential Biosignature on Mars," on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 7:00 PM, ET. The day before the event, you will receive a reminder notice with the info you'll need to login. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at HamptonsObservatory@gmail.com

General admission

The photo is of the Perseverance Rover on Mars. Credit: NASA. <p fr-original-style='margin-bottom: 0in;color: #000000;text-align: left;background: transparent;font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;font-size:16px;line-height: 100%;' style='margin: 0px 0px 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left; background: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 100%; width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;'><a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-says-mars-rover-discovered-potential-biosignature-last-year/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank"> </a><a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-says-mars-rover-discovered-potential-biosignature-last-year/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">On September 10, 2025</a>, NASA announced that the Perseverance Rover, which launched in July 2020 and has been exploring Mars since February 2021, discovered the most compelling evidence yet of potential ancient life on Mars. Stony Brook University geoscientist, Dr. Joel Hurowitz, has worked on NASA&rsquo;s Mars missions for over twenty years, is acting Principal Investigator on the Rover team, and is the senior author of the article in the scientific journal, <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09413-0" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Nature</a>, that reported on this finding.<p fr-original-style='margin-bottom: 0in;color: #000000;text-align: left;background: transparent;font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;font-size:16px;font-weight: normal;line-height: 100%;' style='margin: 0px 0px 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left; background: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;'> <a fr-original-style="" href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">The Perseverance Rover</a> has been exploring Jezero Crater on Mars, looking at different types of rocks to understand the planet&rsquo;s history and search for signs of ancient life. Last year, it reached an area called Bright Angel, where it found something unique: ancient, hardened mud. Inside this mudstone, the Rover discovered tiny spots and chemical &quot;reaction zones&quot; containing iron, phosphorus, and sulfur. More importantly, these spots are mixed with organic carbon. The evidence suggests that after the mud was first laid down, a chemical reaction took place at cool temperatures between the carbon and the surrounding minerals. On Earth, when we see this specific mix of minerals and carbon, it is often caused by microbes (tiny living organisms) processing nutrients. While the Rover findings don&rsquo;t yet prove that life existed on Mars, the Rover found the exact kind of chemical &quot;signature&quot; that biology often leaves behind in similar environments here at home. Dr. Hurowitz will discuss the mission, its findings and their implications regarding the potential for habitability of Mars.<p fr-original-style='margin-bottom: 0in;color: #000000;text-align: left;background: transparent;font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;font-size:16px;font-weight: normal;line-height: 100%;' style='margin: 0px 0px 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left; background: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;'> <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.stonybrook.edu/experts/profile/joel-hurowitz" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Dr. Joel Hurowitz</a>&nbsp; is the acting Principal Investigator for the <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2021/pdf/1591.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">PIXL</a> instrument, which is one of seven instruments on board the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover. He has worked extensively on NASA&rsquo;s Mars missions, playing roles ranging from scientist, to rover instrument design and operations specialist, to science and engineering operations team leader. In 2006, he received a Ph.D. in geosciences from Stony Brook University. From 2006-2007, he was a Caltech postdoctoral scholar at NASA&rsquo;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory where from 2007 to 2013 he served as a research scientist. In 2013, he joined the faculty of the Department of Geosciences at Stony Brook University where he is currently an assistant professor. His research is focused on the study of the properties of ancient sedimentary rocks on Mars and Earth, and what they reveal about past environments, habitability, and biology.&nbsp;<p fr-original-style='margin-bottom: 0in;color: #000000;text-align: left;background: transparent;font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;font-size:16px;font-weight: normal;line-height: 100%;' style='margin: 0px 0px 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left; background: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;'> Hamptons Observatory extends its thanks to <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.sunysuffolk.edu/explore-academics/majors-and-programs/science/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Suffolk County Community College</a> for its kind collaboration and Dr. Hurowitz for sharing his expertise.<p fr-original-style='margin-bottom: 0in;color: #000000;text-align: left;background: transparent;font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;font-size:16px;line-height: 100%;' style='margin: 0px 0px 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left; background: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 100%; width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;'> While Hamptons Observatory offers this and other public events free-of-charge, donations to support our programs are needed and deeply appreciated. You may make a tax-deductible donation to support our mission when you order your tickets for this event. We will receive 100% of the funds you donate, no fees will be deducted or paid by you. Please note: you are not obligated to also donate to Zeffy to &quot;Help keep Zeffy free for Hamptons Observatory,&quot; although Zeffy, too, would appreciate your support. Thanks! Hamptons Observatory (HO), a 501(c)(3) New York State nonprofit since 2005. Its mission: to foster interest in science, particularly astronomy, through educational programs. Lectures, star parties, portable planetarium shows and other events are held frequently and often in collaboration with other nonprofit organizations. HO has an observatory in East Hampton that it is endeavoring to restore and to make accessible (in-person and remotely) to students, researchers, educators and the general public. We offer our public programs free of charge so that everyone has the opportunity to learn about and enjoy the wonders of the universe. For further information about us or to join our mailing list, please visit our website: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://HamptonsObservatory.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit; color: inherit;" target="_blank">HamptonsObservatory.org </a>

The photo is of the Perseverance Rover on Mars. Credit: NASA. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-says-mars-rover-discovered-potential-biosignature-last-year/" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-says-mars-rover-discovered-potential-biosignature-last-year/" target="_blank">On September 10, 2025</a>, NASA announced that the Perseverance Rover, which launched in July 2020 and has been exploring Mars since February 2021, discovered the most compelling evidence yet of potential ancient life on Mars. Stony Brook University geoscientist, Dr. Joel Hurowitz, has worked on NASA’s Mars missions for over twenty years, is acting Principal Investigator on the Rover team, and is the senior author of the article in the scientific journal, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09413-0" target="_blank">Nature</a>, that reported on this finding. <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/" target="_blank">The Perseverance Rover</a> has been exploring Jezero Crater on Mars, looking at different types of rocks to understand the planet’s history and search for signs of ancient life. Last year, it reached an area called Bright Angel, where it found something unique: ancient, hardened mud. Inside this mudstone, the Rover discovered tiny spots and chemical "reaction zones" containing iron, phosphorus, and sulfur. More importantly, these spots are mixed with organic carbon. The evidence suggests that after the mud was first laid down, a chemical reaction took place at cool temperatures between the carbon and the surrounding minerals. On Earth, when we see this specific mix of minerals and carbon, it is often caused by microbes (tiny living organisms) processing nutrients. While the Rover findings don’t yet prove that life existed on Mars, the Rover found the exact kind of chemical "signature" that biology often leaves behind in similar environments here at home. Dr. Hurowitz will discuss the mission, its findings and their implications regarding the potential for habitability of Mars. <a href="https://www.stonybrook.edu/experts/profile/joel-hurowitz" target="_blank">Dr. Joel Hurowitz</a>  is the acting Principal Investigator for the <a href="https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2021/pdf/1591.pdf" target="_blank">PIXL</a> instrument, which is one of seven instruments on board the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover. He has worked extensively on NASA’s Mars missions, playing roles ranging from scientist, to rover instrument design and operations specialist, to science and engineering operations team leader. In 2006, he received a Ph.D. in geosciences from Stony Brook University. From 2006-2007, he was a Caltech postdoctoral scholar at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory where from 2007 to 2013 he served as a research scientist. In 2013, he joined the faculty of the Department of Geosciences at Stony Brook University where he is currently an assistant professor. His research is focused on the study of the properties of ancient sedimentary rocks on Mars and Earth, and what they reveal about past environments, habitability, and biology.  Hamptons Observatory extends its thanks to <a href="https://www.sunysuffolk.edu/explore-academics/majors-and-programs/science/" target="_blank">Suffolk County Community College</a> for its kind collaboration and Dr. Hurowitz for sharing his expertise. While Hamptons Observatory offers this and other public events free-of-charge, donations to support our programs are needed and deeply appreciated. You may make a tax-deductible donation to support our mission when you order your tickets for this event. We will receive 100% of the funds you donate, no fees will be deducted or paid by you. Please note: you are not obligated to also donate to Zeffy to "Help keep Zeffy free for Hamptons Observatory," although Zeffy, too, would appreciate your support. Thanks! Hamptons Observatory (HO), a 501(c)(3) New York State nonprofit since 2005. Its mission: to foster interest in science, particularly astronomy, through educational programs. Lectures, star parties, portable planetarium shows and other events are held frequently and often in collaboration with other nonprofit organizations. HO has an observatory in East Hampton that it is endeavoring to restore and to make accessible (in-person and remotely) to students, researchers, educators and the general public. We offer our public programs free of charge so that everyone has the opportunity to learn about and enjoy the wonders of the universe. For further information about us or to join our mailing list, please visit our website: <a href="https://HamptonsObservatory.org" target="_blank">HamptonsObservatory.org </a>

Hamptons Observatory

“The Detection of a Potential Biosignature on Mars” (A Free, Virtual Lecture)

Zoom

General admission

Free

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