Mars Perseverance’s SHERLOC Finds Organic Molecules in Bright Angel

A potential biosignature is a substance or structure that might have a biological origin but requires more data or further study before a conclusion can be reached about the absence or presence of life.

The graph includes “G-bands” – a type of signal in Raman spectroscopy – indicating the presence of organic molecules, which can be created by both geological as well as biological sources. (“Bknd” is shorthand for “background.”) The data was collected by an instrument on the end of Perseverance’s robotic arm called SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals).

A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover is characterizing the planet’s geology and past climate, to help pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and is the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith.

This image of NASA’s Perseverance rover gathering data on the “Walhalla Glades” abrasion was taken in the “Bright Angel” region of Jezero Crater by one of the rover’s front hazard avoidance cameras on June 14. The WATSON camera on the SHERLOC instrument is closest to the Martian surface. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program (MEP) portfolio and the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.

Managed for NASA by Caltech, JPL built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover on behalf of the agency’s Science Mission Directorate as part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program portfolio.

This is a flyover of annotated 3D models of the “Bright Angel” region close to Jezero Crater, Mars. It shows a combination of a textured HiRISE Mars Satellite Digital Elevation Model showing parts of Jezero Crater as well as Jezero Delta and 3D reconstructions made from Mars 2020 “Perseverance” Mastcam-Z stereo images, as captured between Sol 1180 and 1230 of the Mars 2020 Perseverance mission. Targets in and around the “Bright Angel” region are emphasized. — NASA

For more about Perseverance: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance

Potential Biosignatures Found In An Ancient Mars Lake

Astrobiology