A small greenish spot discovered on Mars by the Perseverance rover has ignited the curiosity of scientists. It is perhaps the best indication of past life that NASA has found on the red planet after the leopard spot pattern of Cheyava Falls, but the rover has not been able to analyze it.
A green spot. Although NASA has now revealed The discovery was on August 19, 2024 when Perseverance took a night image of an intriguing greenish spot on some rocks in the Serpentine Rapids, the region of Mars, on the bed of the Jezero crater, where it was then located.
The green blob in question, just two millimeters in diameter, was discovered after the car-sized rover used an abrasion tool to scrape away a rock nicknamed Wallace Butte. This action exposed a surprising palette of colors, including the greenish stain.
Between red rocks. The image was taken with the SHERLOC WATSON camera that Perseverance has on the tip of its robotic arm. With a dark core and a diffuse outline, the characteristic green spot stands out in a reddish environment. These red rocks owe their color to oxidized iron.
This is where things get interesting. On Earth, red rocks or beds can develop green spots when oxidized iron is chemically reduced, usually in the presence of liquid water. On our planet, this iron reduction can be associated with microbial activity or decomposing organic matter, although it can also occur without biological intervention, due to chemical interactions with sulfur.
The biological factor. Although NASA scientists urge caution, the presence of this anomaly in the Martian soil could be proof that there was once life on the red planet. In fact, these green spots would be one of the first tangible indications of the presence of past life on Mars.
What other option is there? The stain could well be the result of ancient interactions between soil minerals and water in Jezero Crater, which once housed a lake, without the intervention of living microorganisms.
A missed opportunity. The complexity of the terrain prevented the rover from placing its sophisticated chemical analysis instruments directly on the green spot. As a result, its composition remains a mystery.
Maybe Perseverance will find better opportunities where it goes. The rover continues its climb along the edge of the Jezero crater, facing (not without difficulties) steep and dangerous terrain to visit Pico Turquino and Witch Hazel Hill, two of the most promising regions due to their ancient hydrothermal activity and stratified rocks. The search continues, and hope of finding evidence of past life is not lost.
Image | NASA-JPL
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