New Delhi: The science team of NASA’s Perseverance rover are thrilled by the discovery of fascinating rocks that may just preserve evidence of ancient microbial life on the surface of the Red Planet. The arrowhead-shaped rock is filled with veins, with an analysis by the instruments on board the rover indicating that the rock contains the characteristics of a potential indicator of ancient life on Mars. There are chemical signatures and structures in the rock that might have been formed by life billions of years ago, when liquid water was known to flow across the surface of Mars. The rock sample has been named ‘Cheyava Falls’.
The researchers are investigating other possible explanations for the features observed, with future research necessary to confirm and validate the hypothesis that ancient life is a tenable explanation. The rock was the 22nd rock core sample collected by the Martian Rover. The sample was retrieved from an ancient river valley measuring 400 metres across, called Neretva Vallis. The valley was carved by water flowing into the Jezero Crater billions of years ago, the region that the Perseverance rover is exploring on Mars. NASA has carefully planned the route of the Perseverance Rover to maximise the science opportunities available to the mission team.
First compelling signs of organic matter for the Perseverance Team
Perseverance Project Scientist Ken Farley says, “On the one hand, we have our first compelling detection of organic material, distinctive colorful spots indicative of chemical reactions that microbial life could use as an energy source, and clear evidence that water — necessary for life — once passed through the rock. On the other hand, we have been unable to determine exactly how the rock formed and to what extent nearby rocks may have heated Cheyava Falls and contributed to these features”. The researchers believe that the Leopard Spots on the rocks were formed by chemical reactions related to the metabolism of ancient microorganisms.
