NASA Rover Takes a Closer Look at Organic Carbon on Mars

Scientists using NASA's Perseverance rover are gaining a greater understanding of organic carbon detected on Mars, according to new research published Monday. The research describes the structure of organic carbon found last year by the rover in sedimentary rock in Jezero Crater. The rock contained a potential biosignature, a possible sign of past microbial life. The mudstone formed perhaps between 3.2 and 3.8 billion years ago beneath a now-vanished body of water in the Martian northern hemisphere. Organic carbon is described as the molecular backbone for all known living organisms. The findings are part of efforts to explore whether Mars ever harbored life, the report said. (Reuters)