The Curiosity rover drilled samples from Gale Crater, where an ancient lake on Mars is located. Using these samples, scientists were able to measure the total amount of organic carbon in Martian rocks for the first time, NASA said in a statement . Organic carbon is carbon bonded to hydrogen atoms and is a prerequisite for organic molecules produced and used by all known life forms. However, organic carbon can also come from non-living sources, such as meteorites and volcanic eruptions. While previous studies detected small amounts of organic carbon in Martian rock samples, the new measurements provide insight into the total amount of carbon in organic compounds. “Total organic carbon is one of several measures (or indicators) that help us how much of the material could be used as a raw material for pre-life chemistry and potential biology,” study lead author Jennifer Stern, a space scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said in the statement. ) one of the A comparable amount, if not more, than the organic carbon detected in Martian meteorites.” In addition to organic carbon, the researchers found other signs that Gale Crater once supported life, including the presence of chemical energy sources , as well as compounds such as oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur, and lower acidity. “Basically this should have provided a habitable environment for life — if life ever existed,” Stern said. The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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