NASA Perseverance rover finds organic macromolecular carbon on Mars

NASA announced that its Perseverance rover has detected macromolecular carbon (MMC) in rocks from the Bright Angel formation within Jezero crater. Using the SHERLOC instrument, scientists performed Raman spectroscopy on sedimentary rocks at the Cheyawa Falls site and identified complex carbon networks preserved just a few microns below the surface—the shallowest MMC detection on Mars.

The finding, published in *Science Advances*, represents the first confirmed presence of macromolecular carbon on an exposed Martian rock surface. While the carbon could stem from ancient biological activity, researchers note it may also arise from non‑biological geological processes. The detection suggests that organic material may have been more widespread across the planet billions of years ago. Perseverance continues to collect samples for a planned future return mission, which will allow Earth‑based laboratories to determine the exact origin of the organics.