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NASA reports a curious discovery: a green spot on Mars that could change everything. Shrouded in mystery, the mark found by Perseverance challenges scientists to explore a possible sign of extraterrestrial life
A small greenish spot discovered on Mars by the Perseverance rover has sparked scientists' curiosity. It is perhaps the best indication of past life that NASA has found on the red planet since the leopard spot pattern from Cheyava Falls, but the rover was unable to analyze it.
Although NASA has now revealed this discovery, it was on August 19, 2024 that Perseverance captured a nighttime image of an intriguing greenish stain on some rocks in Serpentine Rapids, a region of Mars, on the floor of the Jezero crater, where the rover was then.
The green patch in question, just two millimeters across, was discovered after the car-sized rover used an abrasive tool to scrape away a rock dubbed Wallace Butte. The action exposed a surprising palette of colors, including the greenish patch.
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The discovery of the green spot on Mars: an intriguing possibility of past life
The image was captured with the SHERLOC WATSON camera, which Perseverance has on the tip of its robotic arm. With a dark core and a fuzzy outline, the peculiar green spot stands out in a reddish environment. These red rocks owe their coloration to oxidized iron.
On Earth, reddish rocks or beds may develop green stains when oxidized iron is chemically reduced, usually in the presence of liquid water. On our planet, this iron reduction may be associated with microbial activity or decaying organic matter, although it can also occur without biological intervention, through chemical interactions with sulfur.
Although NASA scientists are urging caution, the presence of this anomaly in the Martian soil could be proof that there was once life on the red planet. In fact, these green patches would be one of the first tangible signs of past life on Mars.
What other option is there? The stain could be the result of ancient interactions between soil minerals and water from the Jezero Crater, which once housed a lake, without the intervention of living microorganisms.
The complexity of the terrain prevented the rover from positioning its sophisticated chemical analysis instruments directly over the green patch. As a result, its composition remains a mystery.
NASA and the challenges in investigating evidence of life on Mars
Perhaps Perseverance will find better opportunities in the places it is heading. The rover continues its ascent along the rim of Jezero Crater, tackling (not without difficulty) steep and dangerous terrain to visit Turquino Peak and Witch Hazel Hill, two of the most promising regions for their ancient hydrothermal activity and stratified rocks. The search continues, and the hope of finding evidence of past life is still high. was not abandoned.
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