NASA's Perseverance rover has detected the highest concentration of organic molecules in rock samples. This is reported on the official website of the organization.
Although organic traces have been found on the planet before, new samples were obtained at a place where sediments settled in a lake in which life could once have existed.
It was possible to find organic matter in the Martian Jezero crater, where the rover arrived in February 2021 to collect soil samples, which may contain traces of life, as well as which will help form ideas about the ancient climate and geological processes on the planet. The delta of the studied area was formed about 3.5 billion years ago. After collecting samples about one meter wide, the device sanded part of the surface and exposed it to ultraviolet light using the SHERLOC device. Preliminary analysis showed the presence of organic molecules related to aromatic compounds.
Such compounds consist mainly of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, but cannot always be created during biological processes. For final conclusions, the samples must be analyzed in laboratories, which the researchers plan to do after they are delivered to earth in 2033.
In June 2022, NASA scientists calculated the depth at which it is necessary to look for extraterrestrial signs of life. According to their calculations, it is necessary to conduct research at a depth of at least two meters, since above the cosmic radiation destroys small molecules.
