Mars: NASA's Curiosity rover finds new organic matter in Gale Crater
Key takeaways
- NASA's Curiosity rover has identified more organic compounds as scientists investigate any potential ancient life signs on Mars.
- https://p.dw.com/p/5Ca Da The probes were sampled here at the 'Mary Anning' location named after a 19th century English palaeontologist in the Glen Torridon region in 2020;
- Like the Earth and other planets in the solar system, Mars is thought to have formed around 4.5 billion years ago.
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NASA's Curiosity rover has identified more organic compounds as scientists investigate any potential ancient life signs on Mars. It was exploring the massive Gale Crater also believed to be a now-dry lake.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Ca Da The probes were sampled here at the 'Mary Anning' location named after a 19th century English palaeontologist in the Glen Torridon region in 2020; Curiosity took a 'selfie' to mark the occasion Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/REUTERSAdvertisement NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has identified seven organic compounds in rock near the planet's equator, five of which had not previously been found on Mars.
Researchers publishing in the journal Nature Communications on Tuesday said the experiment also hinted at the presence of another organic compound bearing a structure similar to the precursors to DNA, the molecule that carries genetic information in living organisms on our planet.