We might experience the real ‘time travel’ concept. Going back to our inception to see everything from the beginning again! Exciting, right?
Are we alone in the whole universe? Or there are other life forms in other space objects like Earth? For decades, scientists have been looking for vital clues about Mars’ habitability. Now, the scientists got an important sign of life forms on the Mars surface. Will it end the debate and hunt for alternate habitats? Let's find out.
Launched with an ambitious goal of searching probable habitable areas, NASA's Perseverance rover has detected a peculiar rock with features similar to earth rock.
(Credit - @NASAMars X handle)
Cheyava Falls: The rock is often known as time keeper. They keep the records of the past which helps scientists to uncover mysteries. From external features to chemical composition, everything indicates presence of microbial organisms. The humans of recent times were not formed in one day. It started from small organisms evolving slowly, giving rise to advanced species.
Sign of Life: The unique, arrowhead-shaped rock hosts chemical signatures from the time when Mars was much wetter than recent condition. The advanced instruments on Perseverance rover found “organic compounds, which are precursors to the chemistry of life,” as mentioned in NASA website. Throughout the rock, calcium sulfate deposits were observed, which indicates occurance of water millions of years ago.
(Credit - @NASAMars X handle)
Most Surprising Element: Amidst these, the most exciting observation is “dozens of millimeter-sized splotches, each surrounded by a black ring,” as mentioned in the publication. The structure mimicks leopard spots. These rings comprise iron and phosphate, also observed on Earth, usually due to chemical reactions by microbes.
David Flannery, an astrobiologist and member of research team from the Queensland University of Technology, Australia, said: “These spots are a big surprise. On Earth, these types of features in rocks are often associated with the fossilized record of microbes living in the subsurface.”
“We've never seen these three things together on Mars before,” Morgan Cable, a scientist on the Perseverance team said.
Recently, I've been investigating a rock unlike any my team has seen so far on the planet. It could be among the oldest I've ever investigated – or the youngest. pic.twitter.com/Myd0c7ajo6
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) July 15, 2024
(Credit - @NASAPersevere X handle)
Probable Hint of River Flow: Cheyava Falls is located at the edge of an ancient river valley recorded as Neretva Vallis. Scientists believe that water or river used to flow between famous Jezero Crater, Neretva Vallis, and Cheyava Falls.
We are all curious to know how earth and humans were formed billions of years ago. As signs of early life formation is detected on Mars, scientists can elucidate the detailed process of evolution.
Nicola Fox, the associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said: “This trip through the Neretva Vallis riverbed paid off as we found something we've never seen before, which will give our scientists so much to study.”
This is me using AI to better investigate rocks on Mars more quickly! I've been using software that works with my PIXL instrument to beam X-rays at Martian rocks to reveal what minerals are present and then determine if it's worth examining more deeply: https://t.co/IIG895pne5 pic.twitter.com/KaXEXqAMut
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) July 16, 2024
(Credit - @NASAPersevere X handle)
“Mars remains our horizon goal for human exploration because it is one of the only other places we know where life may have existed in the solar system,” according to NASA. Thus, understanding the distribution of water on the red planet is of utmost importance. As per recent reports, NASA is preparing for crewed mission to the Mars by 2030.
Scientists need some more tests to confirm the presence of life forms on Mars. If it's proven so, this might go down as one of the finest discoveries of the century.
