The Martian meteorite Tissint, which fell to Earth more than 11 years ago and crashed in Morocco, is one of only five such meteorites observed during their impact on our planet. An international research team led by Philip Schmitt-Kplin of the Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz University of Munich has discovered a wide variety of organic compounds in the Martian meteorite Tissint, among them Andrew Steele of Carnegie. Their findings were recently published in the journalism. Science Advances.

The Martian meteorite Tissint, which crashed into Earth and fell in Morocco more than 11 years ago, is one of five such meteorites observed when it slammed into our planet. Pieces of it were scattered in the desert, about 30 miles from the city from which it was named. This Martian rock specimen was formed hundreds of millions of years ago on our neighboring planet and was blasted into space in a violent event. Unraveling the origin stories of the Tissint meteorite’s organic compounds could help scientists understand whether there was once life on the Red Planet, alongside Earth’s geological history.

“Mars and Earth share many aspects of their evolution,” said lead author Schmitt-Koplin. “And although life began and evolved on our home planet, the question of whether it could exist on Mars is a very pressing research topic that requires a deeper knowledge of our neighboring planet’s water, organic molecules, and reactive surfaces.”

Organic molecules include carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and sometimes other elements. Organic compounds are often associated with life, but previous studies of Martian meteorites have shown that they may have been created by non-biological processes called abiotic organic chemistry.

“Understanding the processes and sequence of events that make up this rich organic blessing will reveal new details about the habitability of Mars and perhaps the reactions that could lead to the creation of life,” said Steele, who has conducted extensive research on organic matter on Mars. . Meteorites, including Tissinta, and is a member of the Perseverance and Curiosity rover scientific teams.

The researchers were able to carefully analyze the meteorite’s organic compositions, revealing the relationship between the type and diversity of organic molecules and specific mineralogy. The result of their efforts was the most comprehensive catalog of various organic compounds found in a Martian meteorite or a sample collected and analyzed by a rover. This work has revealed the details of how processes occurring in the Martian mantle and crust evolved, particularly in relation to abiotic organics formed as a result of the interaction of water and rocks.

Of particular interest was the abundance of organomagnesium compounds, a set of organic molecules not previously found on Mars, that offer new insights into the high-pressure, high-temperature geochemistry that make up the deep interior of the Red Planet and point to a link between its carbon. cycle and mineral evolution. The researchers say the samples brought from Mars by future missions should provide an unprecedented amount of information about the formation, stability and dynamics of organic compounds in the real Martian environment.