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Space & Astronomy

Has Curiosity found fatty acid on Mars ?

By T.K. Randall
March 21, 2015 · Comment icon 20 comments

Curiosity has been conducting numerous experiments on Mars. Image Credit: NASA
NASA has revealed that the rover has found further evidence of organic molecules on the Red Planet.
Of all the goals that Curiosity is hoping to achieve on Mars, determining whether its landing site, Gale Crater, was ever able to support the development of microbial life, either today or in the planet's past, is undoubtedly its most important.

So far indications have been tantalizingly positive that something biological may have been happening on Mars. Past experiments have picked up signs of chlorobenzene in Martian rocks while evidence of methane has been detected in the atmosphere.
Now the team behind the Curiosity rover has found further indications of possible organic chemistry on Mars in the form of fatty acids picked up by the rover's sample analysis instrument.

NASA scientist Dr Daniel Glavin described the find as "provocative" but indicated that it is not yet clear whether these discoveries are biological or non-biological in nature.

It may be a long time yet before the mystery of life on Mars can ever be satisfactorily answered.

Source: BBC News | Comments (20)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #11 Posted by Hammerclaw 9 years ago
NASA, believe it or not, is deliberately avoiding choosing sites to explore with any possibility of encountering liquid water because of the fear of such contamination WD refers to.
Comment icon #12 Posted by Father Merrin 9 years ago
Never A Straight Answer
Comment icon #13 Posted by GreenmansGod 9 years ago
Never A Straight Answer You're like the monkeyman, no matter what anyone says you stick to the conspiracy theory, because it is easier than doing real research. Scientist are the last people to trust with a secret, because as soon as all the data is in they want to be the first to publish.
Comment icon #14 Posted by Father Merrin 9 years ago
You're like the monkeyman, no matter what anyone says you stick to the conspiracy theory, because it is easier than doing real research. Scientist are the last people to trust with a secret, because as soon as all the data is in they want to be the first to publish. History has proven that civilisation was built on secrets and deception! Not truths and openness! So why would things be any different today??
Comment icon #15 Posted by 3.0 9 years ago
Martians loosing weight?
Comment icon #16 Posted by Sundew 9 years ago
Is it butter? Or Parkay?
Comment icon #17 Posted by bison 9 years ago
AS in other other instances of organic compounds found on Mars, the BIG question-- living or non-living source? -- will probably be settled if or when they can assay the carbon isotopes in the molecule. AN unusual abundance of the heavier carbon 13, favored by the metabolism of living things, over the lighter carbon 12, would be a strong indication of life.
Comment icon #18 Posted by Atuke 9 years ago
All these maybe's are pointing to a probably. There was/is life there. Now it's time to get some folks up there to poke around. When is the proposed manned mission? I remeber G. Bush had a 2020 proposal but I thought Obama nixed it. No?
Comment icon #19 Posted by DieChecker 9 years ago
What are the odds of a fatty acid sticking around for even a couple decades near the surface of Mars? Is this the first time this instrument has been used? If not then why didn't it give "false positives" before now? Is the rover starting to break down so the contaminated areas are being exposed to the atmosphere? EDIT: The article says they have a known leak, but then shouldn't they have a "known" chemical peak?
Comment icon #20 Posted by monkeyman2269 9 years ago
Lmao there's definitely monkeys on Mars there my cousins


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