NASA told about the most convincing evidence of ancient life on Mars

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has presented a peer-reviewed article on the discovery of the Perseverance rover, which may contain fossil traces of ancient microorganisms on Mars. We are talking about the unusual Cheyava Falls stone in the Jezero crater, discovered in 2024. This was reported in Astronomy magazine.

According to acting head of NASA Sean Duffy, the find "may be the clearest sign of life that we have ever found on Mars." The unique Cheyava Falls stone contains organic molecules and minerals commonly associated with microbial activity on Earth.

The stone was studied with the SHERLOC and PIXL tools. SHERLOC detected a powerful signal of organic matter, and PIXL detected the minerals vivianite and greigite in the "leopard spots", which are often formed on Earth during microbial processes.

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Scientists have hypothesized that ancient microorganisms could use the organic matter in the sludge as an energy source by changing the chemical state of iron and sulfur. Such a process would lead to the deposition of vivianite and greigite and discoloration of the rock — this is exactly what the instruments record.

The age of the rocks of the Bright Angel Formation is estimated at 2-3 billion years, which expands the estimated "window of habitability" of Mars by almost a billion years. However, the researchers emphasize that with the help of a single rover, abiotic mechanisms cannot be definitively excluded. Final conclusions are possible only after the delivery of the Sapphire Canyon sample to Earth.

NASA astronomers discovered a wandering black hole on May 13. For the first time, scientists have recorded an unusual event not in the center of the galaxy, but outside it.

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