NASA Announces Finding Organic Material in Mars Rocks: Now What?
September 17, 2022
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The Perseverance spacecraft, which launched on July 30, 2020 and landed on Mars last February, has made many important developments and discoveries so far. This mission, in which
The Perseverance spacecraft, which launched on July 30, 2020 and landed on Mars last February, has made many important developments and discoveries so far. This mission, in which NASA flew a helicopter on Mars for the first time, provides insight into the possibility of life on Mars today. a very important tip reaches.
NASA discussed the highlights of the Perseverance mission at a conference it held, and it was its first time on Mars. that there are organic molecules that can be associated with life explained. The organic structure in question was found in a sample taken from a delta of Mars’ 45-kilometer-wide Jezero crater. This delta, believed to have formed 3.5 billion years ago, is said to have been formed by the combination of the Mars River and the lake.
Jezero organized a great discovery:
An animation of the Jezero Crater filled with water.
The spacecraft is in the delta now, sometime formed by the deposition of particles of different sizes in the wet environment. He did research on sedimentary rocks. During the initial investigation, the instrument sampled the crater floor and found magma deep underground or igneous rock formed during volcanic activity at the surface. But another dig at the site showed signs of life.
In this area, which is said to contain extremely rich and diverse rocks, the spacecraft found a sandstone with crater-specific grains and rock fragments that formed far from Jezero crater. In addition, a mud rock containing organic molecules was also announced. This stone, which ignites organic thoughts of life, was called ‘Wildcat Ridge’.
NASA said the rock probably formed billions of years ago when mud and fine sand settled in an evaporating saltwater lake. Movement about 1 meter wide was also stated. The Perseverance spacecraft sampled part of the rock’s surface on July 20. These samples were studied by the spacecraft’s Scan for Habitable Environments for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) instrument.
As a result of the studies done with SHERLOC, the samples were: It has a class of organic molecules related to those of sulfate minerals. showed. NASA shared that the sulfate minerals found in these rock layers can provide important information about the aqueous environments in which they form. However, it was also reminded that there is a great obstacle ahead of us in this regard.
During the statement, he answered questions from Twitter. “Can Perseverance detect signs of life before the monsters are returned to Earth?” In response to the question, project scientist Ken Farley said: “The burden of proof of life on another planet is very heavy.He stated that the monsters should be brought to Earth. Moreover, life cannot be determined with certainty, but potential discoveries can be made. emphasizes.
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