Scientists Stunned by New Organic Molecules Found on Mars
Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:
NASA's Curiosity rover has discovered a wide variety of organic molecules on Mars, including compounds often viewed as essential ingredients for the origin of life on Earth.
These results come from a chemical experiment carried out on another planet for the first time. The findings show that the Martian surface can preserve molecules that might serve as indicators of ancient life. However, the experiment cannot determine whether these organic compounds formed from past life on Mars, natural geological activity, or arrived via meteorites.
To confirm any true signs of past life, scientists would need to return Martian rock samples to Earth for more detailed analysis.
[...] We think we're looking at organic matter that's been preserved on Mars for 3.5 billion years," said Williams, who helped develop the experiment. It's really useful to have evidence that ancient organic matter is preserved, because that is a way to assess the habitability of an environment. And if we want to search for evidence of life in the form of preserved organic carbon, this demonstrates it's possible."
[...] The experiment identified more than 20 different chemicals. Among them was a nitrogen-containing molecule with a structure similar to compounds involved in building DNA, something never before detected on Mars. The rover also found benzothiophene, a large sulfur-containing compound with a double-ring structure that is commonly delivered to planets by meteorites.
The same stuff that rained down on Mars from meteorites is what rained down on Earth, and it probably provided the building blocks for life as we know it on our planet," Williams said.
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