Mars rocks found near the sites of ancient lakes on the Red Planet may hold vital proof that life once existed there, researchers say.
The rocks will not somehow reveal bug-eyed aliens to the world, though. Instead, they are expected to offer proof of microbial life that was once teeming on Mars.
The Search For Life On Mars
According to researchers, the best bet of finding proof that microbes on Mars once existed are on the rocks rich in iron and silica that formed on the planet's ancient lake beds.
The study, which was published on the Journal of Geophysical Research, claimed that it is most likely that the sedimentary rocks made of compacted mud or clay are the ones that contain fossils of the microbes on Mars.
The rocks are said to have formed between 3 billion years and 4 billion years ago, during the period known as the Noachian epoch. It was named after Noachis Terra, the oldest region on Mars, and during the period, it is believed that Mars was abundant in water on the surface and had warmer temperatures. These conditions may have supported life on Mars.
The study contained a field guide for the future Mars missions, showing exactly where to look for fossils of microbes on Mars. The next Mars mission of NASA will be specifically looking for proof that life once existed on Mars, and the European Space Agency is currently planning a similar mission.
The researchers noted that the rocks on Mars will be better preserved than the rocks of the same age found on Earth. This is because there are no plate tectonics on Mars, a natural phenomenon of moving rocks on a planet's crust that may destroy fossils.
"There are many interesting rock and mineral outcrops on Mars where we would like to search for fossils, but since we can't send rovers to all of them we have tried to prioritize the most promising deposits based on the best available information," said Dr. Sean McMahon, the lead author of the study and a Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellow from the School of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Edinburgh.
Missions To Mars
A recent study estimated that there are about 12,000 Olympic-sized pools of organic matter that will prove life on Mars. NASA also recently was able to fix the drilling capabilities of its Curiosity rover, allowing it to continue studying the Red Planet.
The next major frontier on Mars exploration, however, are missions that will send people to Mars. There are many challenges, though, including providing protection from the effects of cosmic radiation.
