Surprise Discovery by Perseverance! Signs of Ancient Life Emerge on Mars | WPN World People News

NASA's Perseverance rover has discovered potential evidence of ancient life on Mars. Within an arrow-shaped rock named "Cheyava Falls," the rover detected organic compounds and chemicals possibly related to ancient microorganisms.

In mid to late July, while exploring Neretva Vallis, the Perseverance rover drilled and collected this significant rock sample. The rock measures approximately 1 meter in length and 0.6 meters in width, featuring white veins of gypsum and red streaks indicative of the presence of hematite.

The instruments also found dozens of beige spots within the rock, surrounded by black rings forming a leopard-like pattern. Scientists believe these features may suggest the past existence of microorganisms on Mars. Ken Farley, a scientist at Caltech, noted that this rock might be the most important sample discovered by the Perseverance rover to date. The white gypsum veins are evidence of past water flow, and the organic compounds and chemicals could be potential energy sources for microorganisms.

However, further research is needed to confirm whether these findings truly indicate past life on Mars. NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) plan to conduct the Mars Sample Return Program in the 2030s to bring these valuable samples back to Earth for more detailed analysis. David Flannery, an astrobiologist at NASA, mentioned that on Earth, rocks with these characteristics are usually associated with fossil records of subsurface microorganisms. These spots might have formed through chemical reactions, and the energy released from these reactions could sustain microbial life.

These new discoveries have generated significant excitement in the scientific community. Although there might be other explanations for this evidence, this is still the first potential proof of life beyond Earth. If these samples do indeed contain microbial fossils, it would be a groundbreaking discovery that rewrites history!