Second rover finds Mars water signs

PASADENA, Calif., March 5 (UPI) -- More possible signs of water were reported on Mars Friday.

NASA said the rover Spirit came upon "hints" of evidence that water once existed on the other side of the red planet from where Opportunity found signs of water last week.

Scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory said Friday that a bright material the might been crystallized from water was seen in cracks in a volcanic rock located in the Gusev Crater.

"If we found this rock on Earth, we would say it is a volcanic rock that had a little fluid moving through it," said Washington University scientist Ray Arvidson said.

Arvidson and his colleagues noted that, if correct, the findings would indicate the crater was a lot drier than the area where Opportunity made its dramatic discovery.

Spirit's next assignment will be to cruise over to another crater and examine rocks that could be from deeper below the Martian surface.