Organic molecules found on Mars

The results of a first-of-its-kind wet chemistry experiment on Mars have revealed complex carbon-containing molecules preserved in ancient lakebeds.

Scientists identified seven molecules that had never been seen on the Red Planet, some of which share structures with the precursors to DNA. While the findings do not prove the existence of past life, they confirm that the Gale Crater was once a habitable environment with a rich chemical history.

NASA researchers are now working to determine whether these molecules originated from biological processes or geological ones.