Traces of life on Mars

NASA's probe has detected traces of carbon-containing compounds in rocks and methane gas in the atmosphere of the red planet.

A simulation of the Curiosity rover on the surface of the red planet. Photo: NASA

"We have a significant discovery. We've found organic matter on Mars," John Grotzinger, lead scientist of the Curiosity program, said yesterday. The data was collected by NASA's Curiosity rover on rock layers in Gale Crater on Mars.

According to Reuters, this event marks the first time organic matter has been found on the surface of Earth's neighboring planet, opening up opportunities to study the origins of life on the red planet.

Through analysis, scientists simultaneously discovered traces of methane in the atmosphere, a gas that is evidence of the existence of life on Earth. Chris Webster, a NASA associate, considered this a major surprise.

However, NASA cannot yet confirm the origin of methane on Mars. Further research will focus on identifying the organic compounds and the source of this methane—whether it originated in the past, recently, or was formed through geochemical processes.

Previously, data from the probe revealed that a large lake once existed on Mars billions of years ago, further strengthening evidence of microbial life on the planet.

The Curiosity rover landed in the Mount Sharp region of Mars in August 2012. Shortly afterward, it collected evidence of the chemical composition and environmental conditions necessary to support microbial life on the red planet.

According to the Daily Mail