NASA's Mars rover found complex organic molecules on the Red Planet

NASA's Perseverance rover has detected complex organic molecules in the Jezero Crater on Mars, where a lake existed billions of years ago, target=_blank>Zamin.uz reported.

The discovery opens a new discovery sheds light on how habitable Mars was in the past. new chapter in understanding of life was. The results of the study published in Science Advances shows that organic materials can be preserved for long periods in the planet's geological layers.

The research was conducted in the western part of the crater, in the Neretva region, identified as an ancient river delta and lakebed. Perseverance used its high-precision SHERLOC spectrometer to analyze powdered samples and rocks.

It was found that both large carbon macromolecules and complex organic compounds are present in layers exposed to the open environment. However, scientists emphasize that it is too early to draw final conclusions about the origin of these organics.

They could have formed through either biological or geochemical processes. Yet, the preservation of such complex molecules despite Mars' harsh radiation and unfavorable climate puzzles experts.

According to TASS, these findings are consistent with data collected at other locations on Mars. Earlier, the Curiosity rover also detected organic materials in a region about three kilometers from Jezero Crater.

This suggests that such complex organics may be widespread across the planet. During the Perseverance mission, two thousand seven hundred and fifty inorganic minerals and possible signs of life were found in this area, deepening the research.

If these materials are the result of ancient microbial activity, it would completely change humanity's understanding of its place in the cosmos.

Currently, scientists are continuing investigations in the following key directions:

Studying the exact chemical composition of organic aggregates to determine how they were preserved in the layers;

Assessing the likelihood of biological origin of these compounds;

Preparing these samples for laboratory analysis when they are eventually brought back to Earth in the future.

This discovery strengthens the hypothesis that life may have existed on Mars at some point.

While it is still not possible to definitively say that life has been found, the detected complex molecules are considered fundamental building blocks of life. Perseverance's mission continues to unveil the secrets of the Red Planet, with each new sample bringing us closer to answering the fundamental question.