NASA argues that the presence of such substances confirms life on Jezero, since both biological and non-biological mechanisms could create “organics”.
Researchers on the Mars 2020 project found that the rock along which the Perseverance rover moved in Jezero crater was formed from hot magma. This was reported by the press service of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
This was figured out using the rover’s PIXL instrument, which is an X-ray spectrometer that identifies chemical elements on a tiny scale.
This section of rock in the South Seita region was surveyed on 12 November. Thus, it turned out that the rock consists of a very large number of huge crystals of olivine, which are hidden in pyroxene crystals.
“A good geology student will tell you that this texture indicates rock formed when crystals grew and settled in slowly cooling magma; for example, in a thick lava flow, lava lake or magma chamber,” the researchers noted.
In addition, NASA claims that the presence of such substances confirms life on Jezero.
“Such” organic matter “could be created by both biological and non-biological mechanisms,” the agency noted.
