Perseverance Rover Detects Complex Carbon on Mars, Hinting at Past Habitability

NASA's Perseverance rover has detected macromolecular carbon on Mars, complex organic molecules that can be produced by life but also form through non-biological processes. The discovery was made in the Bright Angel outcrop within Jezero Crater, described as the 'most robust' detection of organics on Mars to date, according to a study published June 24 in Science Advances. The carbon was found in mudstones, associated with carbonate and sulfate minerals indicating water-rich conditions. The rover used its SHERLOC instrument with Raman spectroscopy to identify hundreds of organic compounds just microns below the surface. This marks the second location on Mars where such organics have been found, after Gale Crater where Curiosity rover made similar detections. The findings suggest organic material may have been widespread in ancient Martian rivers and lakes. However, definitive evidence of past life requires sample return to Earth, as current rovers lack the necessary analytical tools. The study co-authors include Ashley Murphy (Planetary Science Institute) and Mark Sephton (Imperial College London).