Life Sciences Mars rover finds organic compounds

[Second Summer]

Nasa’s veteran Curiosity rover has found complex organic matter buried and preserved in ancient sediments that formed a vast lake bed on Mars more than 3bn years ago.

The discovery is the most compelling evidence yet that long before the planet became the parched world it is today, Martian lakes were a rich soup of carbon-based compounds that are necessary for life, at least as we know it.

More: Nasa Mars rover finds organic matter in ancient lake bed (7. June 2018)

It's not clear whether the compounds were produced by living organisms or chemical processes.

A second study mentioned towards the end of the article reveals that there are seasonal patterns to the methane levels in the Martian atmosphere. Methane is a gas that can be produced with by biological activity, e.g. through break-down of organic material or by microorganisms.

 

[MadamSarcastra]

Yeah! I heard the story on the car radio (NPR) earlier this evening.... so exciting!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1004790850432520192

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