Still NASA finds the most clear life signal on Mars

Life, even in its tiny form, leaves traces. On the ground, germs created minerals that would not exist without their intervention.

This trail has just been discovered in Mart And it could be the clear signal of the date when the Red Planet also posted life in the pastAs published The New York Times.

What NASA found?

Rover Persistence NASA is determined in the craters Lake – The place where the billions of years ago were the Delta -Lake and the River – a rock with unique characteristics.

Baptized as The teaflies of the waterfall. It contains minerals such as vivianita and.

The opening was described this week in the magazine Nature And NASA is presented at a press conference.

“I think it’s very intriguing,” he said New York Times Joel HurowitzProfessor of Geological Sciences in Universidad Stony Brook and a member of the team Persistence.

With more than two decades of experience in Martian missions, he said it was more convinced of possible biofirm: “These observations seem really convincing.”

Are there microorganisms on Mars?

The analysis showed tiny dark motorcycles – the corresponding “poppy seeds” containing vivianita, except for circular structures called “Leopard Spots”, where this mineral is combined with Greigita.

On Earth and Vivianita and Greigita usually appear in freshwater lakes, mouths and wetlands, where germs consume organic matter, leaving this type of mineral as a by -product.

Although chemical processes can also explain their preparation, researchers emphasize that on Mars they seem to have not allowed the high temperature necessary for development in this way.

The presence of organic compounds – carbon and hydrogen molecules, which are considered the main blocks of life – enhance the hypothesis that Mars had a living environment.

“It’s very interesting because it shows that Mars had living conditions”he said Janice BishopA scientist at the Seti Institute.

However, he also warned that no -biological explanations remain more likely. He reminded of the phrase Carl Sagan, which manages the scientific community: “Extraordinary statements require extraordinary evidence.”

Will there be data on the ground?

The conclusion happens at the crucial moment. The persistence has already drilled and kept the sample of the teafirfall, which could solve doubts when it once reaches the earth.

There, with much more complex laboratory tools, scientists could check whether the chemical traces correspond to the remains of the Martian germs.

The problem is that the Mars returns program intended for accepting these samples was suspended in 2024 due to the cost of the cost, which raised its budget up to $ 11,000 million.

Despite everything, Hurovitz retains optimism: “If you say,” We will argue with $ 20 that contain these breeds, and we will find out when the samples arrive, “I take a bet,” the scientist said.