Materials found in the rocks of the Martian crater Jezero suggest that organic matter may be common on the Red Planet. Spectroscopic analysis using instruments on the Perseverance rover found evidence of hydrocarbon molecules in many rock formations. In addition, the detection shows different numbers and types of molecules in different species.

This isn’t the first time organic molecules have been found on our neighboring planet — the Curiosity rover also found them in Gale Crater — but this discovery suggests that the building blocks for life may be common on Mars and could be provided by a variety of molecules. formation mechanisms.

“We detected signals consistent with aromatic organic molecules in many rocks on the floor of Jezero Crater,” Caltech astrobiologist Sunanda Sharma, who led the study, told ScienceAlert.

“We see at least four different types of fluorescent signals, which are probably organic, and three types of Raman scattering signals. The number of fluorescence detections and the diversity of fluorescent signals appear to be higher in the Máaz block than in the Séítah block. This was surprising and interesting because such differences have different histories of change of units. It could mean that.’

One of Perseverance’s primary goals is to look for signs of habitability on Mars. Carbon chemistry is by no means an empty weapon; There are many non-biological processes that can form molecules around carbon. But carbon is essential to life as we know it, so if you want to value life, carbon-containing molecules are one of the most important things to look at.

The ability of rocks to store these molecules is also important. These features at the site suggest that life may have started or continued there at some point in Martian history.

Using the Perseverance SHERLOC instrument, Sharma and colleagues applied Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy to rocks in the Máaz and Séítah formations to look for signatures of carbon chemistry. Not only did they find the signals they were looking for, they also found the fundamental chemistry differences between the stones.

“I was most interested in comparing units,” Sharma says.

“Máaz and Séitah were not alike in terms of the number, type, and mineral associations of possible organic signals. Now I wonder what they might have gone through to achieve such distinctions; how does that fit into our Crater Lake story?

While the exact molecules have yet to be identified, both formations show signs of water exchange. This means that water may have played a role in the formation of compounds, another important component for past life conditions. Since then, the rover has advanced and more data is on its way. The next step is to compare the different types of rocks in the new locations. This could help researchers piece together a more detailed geological history of Mars and the organic molecules on it.

The team hopes that the apparent widespread distribution of organic matter means they will be found in samples where Perseverance is preparing to return to Earth. If so, one day we will have the opportunity to examine them directly.

“This,” says Sharma, “is an important piece of the puzzle we’re posing about the existence, distribution, and species of organics on Mars.” Source