NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has detected large organic molecules, consisting of carbon atoms linked in long chains with other elements like hydrogen and oxygen, in a 3.7-billion-year-old rock sample from Mars. This finding is significant as it suggests that complex life forms may have existed on the red planet.
Scientists believe that if life ever emerged on Mars, it was likely microbial in nature due to microbes’ small size, making it challenging to detect definitive evidence of past life. The discovery of these organic molecules could indicate biological activity, but further analysis is required to confirm their origin.
The sample, taken from a region with rock formations resembling those formed at the bottom of a lake, may contain fatty acids, which are essential components of biology on Earth. The largest carbon chains found in the Cumberland sample have 12 atoms long, similar to those found in fatty acids.
This discovery is part of the ongoing search for life on Mars and provides hope that future missions could confirm evidence of past life using more powerful scientific instruments available on Earth.
Source: https://theconversation.com/nasas-curiosity-rover-has-found-the-longest-chain-carbon-molecules-yet-on-mars-its-a-significant-finding-in-the-search-for-alien-life-253249