41. Mars’s giant reservoir of “hidden water” discovered
Mars Location:
Year Found: 2020
Est. Value: N/A
In 2021, the Chinese probe Zhurong will land in Utopia Planitia. This plain is located in the northern hemisphere on Mars. The Chinese probe landed at the same location where NASA’s Viking 2 lander landed in 1976. Zhurong was sent to Mars in 1976 with the mission of finding ancient life. The craft is still orbiting Mars today.
Scientists and those who believe in life on other worlds were excited by the data that Zhurong returned. The probe discovered data that showed that the Utopia planitia basin was filled with liquid water. This meant that Mars wasn’t as dry and cold as investigators had thought. Wet minerals indicate that life may have existed, either in the present or past.
42. Thrift Store Finds American Declaration of Independence
Location: Pennsylvania
Year Found: 1992
Est. Value: $2.18 million*
Some people find things of great value in thrift shops. A collector found this at a flea market in Pennsylvania. He purchased a $4 “dismal painting” because he liked its frame. He discovered that the Declaration of Independence was inside the artwork.
He learned after it was authenticated that the copy he had is the first edition of the historical relic. It was worth $1 million when it was auctioned in June 1991 (about $2.18 in today’s dollars).
