NASA Perseverance rover finds complex organic carbon in Mars rocks

NASA’s Perseverance rover has detected macromolecular organic carbon in two mudstone samples from the Bright Angel formation within Jezero Crater. Using the SHERLOC laser‑spectroscopy instrument, scientists mapped hundreds of carbon‑rich signatures just a few micrometres beneath the rock surface, marking the most robust organic detection reported from the site. The findings, published in Science Advances, show large carbon‑bearing molecules preserved in sedimentary layers that once hosted an ancient lake, but they do not constitute proof of past life; the carbon could also arise from non‑biological processes.

The discovery follows earlier observations of “leopard‑spot” markings in the Cheyava Falls rock, which have been cited as possible biosignatures. While NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission faces funding delays, the rover continues to travel the Martian terrain—having covered 42.95 km, surpassing the marathon distance—collecting additional samples for future analysis. Chinese scientists are planning a complementary mission to study organic chirality on Mars, aiming to distinguish between biological and abiotic origins of such molecules.

Scientists emphasize that laboratory analysis of returned samples will be needed to determine the true nature of the organic carbon.