Ancient Martian life has long been an enigmatic course that scientists are trying to prove through data collected from the Mars mission helmed by NASA and other international space agencies. Now, a recent study published in the Meteorites and Planetary Science journal hints a possibility that microorganisms have been trapped and preserved on the surface of the Red Planet.
In the research spearheaded by a team of scientists from the University of Glasglow, it was revealed that they have found a very important finding, which is the presence of opal in a Martian meteorite that if on Earth can suggest the presence of microorganisms, suggesting that ancient Martian life may have existed.
By using a powerful scanning electron microscope, the team found very small traces of the gem in the rock created by the interaction of Martian water with silica within the meteorite, which was discovered in the Egyptian town of Nakhla in 1911.
As stated in the study, the opal in a tiny 1.7 gram fragment of the "Nakhla" Martian meteorite was blasted away from the Red Planet's bailiwick by a huge impact of unidentified source millions of years ago. These opals or "fire opals" are known for their vibrant flame-like colors of yellow, orange or red. The traces of iron in the opals are thought to be responsible for its bright hues.
Even though past explorations have already suggested the existence of opal deposits, the recent discovery is the first direct evidence of a gem known as a "fire opal" on the Red Planet. Science Recorder revealed the presence of opal, which is a gemstone often formed around hot springs where microorganisms thrive on Earth, is significant in observing hints of ancient Martian life.
"If Martian microbes existed, it's possible they too may be preserved in opal deposits on the surface of Mars," University of Glasgow's School of Geographical and Earth Sciences professor and lead study author Martin Lee said. "Closer study of Martian opals by future missions to Mars could well help us learn more about the planet's past and whether it once held life."
Lee also cited two reasons why the discovery of even a very small amount of fire opal is deemed vital. According to IBN Live, the first reason is the research conclusively confirmed the previous information from NASA's imaging and exploration of the Martian surface, which appeared to show deposits of opal. Second, researchers learned that opals are usually formed in and around hot springs here on Earth, where microbial life thrives.
Hence, if Martian microbes are indeed present in Mars, opals could have confined and preserved these microbes for millions of years. It is also possible that ancient traces of Martian life may be preserved in opal deposits on the surface of the Red Planet.
The latest findings on the traces of the precious stone, which were found in a Martian meteorite, could help future exploration missions and could provide a target on where to look for evidence of Martian life on the second smallest planet of the solar system, as per NBC News.
