The photo is of the Perseverance Rover on Mars. Credit: NASA.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR THIS FREE VIRTUAL EVENT:
Hamptons Observatory (HO), a 501(c)(3) NYS nonprofit that relies on public support has served the South Fork since 2005. Hamptons Observatory offers all of its programs free-of-charge so that everyone can enjoy the wonders of their Universe. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help support our work. Thanks!
Virtual Astronomy Lecture:
“The Detection of a Potential Biosignature on Mars” (A Free, Virtual Lecture)
SPEAKER: Dr. Joel Hurowitz, Dept. of Geosciences, Stony Brook University
CO-HOST: Suffolk County Community College
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED: https://bit.ly/MarsTalk
On May 6, 2026, at 7:00 PM, ET, Hamptons Observatory and co-host Suffolk County Community College will present a free, virtual lecture by Stony Brook University geoscientist, Dr. Joel Hurowitz, who is acting principal investigator of the Perseverance Rover team that discovered possible biosignatures on Mars. Dr. Hurowitz will discuss the mission, its findings and their implications regarding the potential for habitability of Mars.
Registration is required for this free, virtual lecture: https://bit.ly/MarsTalk
On September 10, 2025, 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, Nature, that reported on this finding.
The Perseverance Rover 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.
Dr. Joel Hurowitz is the acting Principal Investigator for the PIXL 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 Suffolk County Community Collegefor its kind collaboration and Dr. Hurowitz for sharing his expertise.
While this lecture is free, donations to support our programs are needed and deeply appreciated regardless of the amount. To make a tax-deductible donation to support our mission, please click HERE. Thanks!
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR THIS FREE, VIRTUAL EVENT: https://bit.ly/MarsTalk
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