Curiosity uncovers complex organics in ancient Martian sandstone
TL;DR
NASA's Curiosity rover, using a first-of-its-kind off-Earth chemical test with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), detected more than 20 organic molecules in 3.5‑billion‑year‑old sandstone from Gale Crater, including naphthalene and benzothiophene, with possible nitrogen-containing heterocycles—evidence of ancient Martian chemistry that could be a building block for life and that will guide future TMAH experiments on Mars rovers and future missions.
- NASA's Curiosity Rover found promising organic chemicals on Mars Engadget
- NASA’s Curiosity Finds Organic Molecules Never Seen Before on Mars NASA (.gov)
- ‘Is it life? We can’t tell’: Nasa’s Curiosity rover finds organic molecules on Mars The Guardian
- Preserved for billions of years, organic compounds found on Mars Courthouse News
- Diverse organic molecules on Mars revealed by the first SAM TMAH experiment Nature
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