Aliens Living on Mars Could Avoid the Detection, Scientists Say
- DW/NASA
VIVA – Aliens living on Mars could avoid detection by instruments currently on the planet, scientists say. Probes currently used to hunt for alien life may not be sensitive enough to find such organisms, according to a new paper.
The researchers issued the warning after testing material taken from the Chilean desert, where conditions are somewhat similar to the areas on Mars being studied by the Perseverance rover.
They knew that the area contained ancient life but could not find it using the instruments the rovers carried. Since the Viking missions in the 1970s, many probes have been sent to the red planet in search of microbial life.
So far, the sophisticated instruments on NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers have only identified low levels of simple organic molecules. After that, scientists said these results raise the question about the limitations of current scientific equipment.
An international research team led by Dr. Armando Azua-Bustos of the Astrobiology Centre in Spain tested versions of the instruments that are currently on Mars or due to be sent there soon.
These instruments were tested in Red Stone, which is located in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. This area is thought to bear a close resemblance to the conditions on Mars and contains an abundance of hematite – an oxidized form of iron that gives Mars its famous red color.
Ilustrasi koloni manusia di Planet Mars.
- SpaceNews
The researchers analyzed samples gathered from the sedimentary fossil remains of a river delta located in the desert.
Moreover, these deposits were thought to have formed under highly arid conditions about 160–100 million years ago and are geologically similar to the Jezero crater on Mars currently being studied by Perseverance.
Analysis revealed several biosignatures, molecules that can be used as evidence for the past or present life. The scientists also found that the Red Stone samples contained numerous microorganisms very difficult to identify, which they call “dark microbiome”.
