NASA Study Reveals Evidence Of Organic Molecules On Mars
NASA's rover has found new evidence of fossils preserved in rocks on Mars and also new evidence from the Martian atmosphere that is related to the quest for current life on Red Planet.
The recent evidence originates from Sherloc, an instrument on Curiosity rover's robotic arm, facilitating detailed mapping and analysis of organic molecules on Mars.
In February 2021, Perseverance landed in Mars' northern hemisphere at Jezero crater, commencing its mission to explore for signs of ancient life and retrieve rock and soil samples for potential return to Earth.
Although the researchers have not identified the specific organic compounds detected by SHERLOC, they have gathered some clues.
Scientists hypothesize that Jezero crater may have once harbored microbial life, speculating that river channels overflowed and formed a lake over 3.5 billion years ago.
Signals of organic molecules were detected at all 10 places that SHERLOC short for Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals - studied on the crater floor.
SHERLOC utilizes cameras, lasers, and spectrometers to examine light wavelengths and search for organic molecules, potential indicators of ancient microbial life.