Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
NASA’s Perseverance rover has identified a vein-filled rock, nicknamed “Cheyava Falls,” that may hold clues to ancient life on Mars.
The rock exhibits chemical signatures and structures that fit the definition of potential indicators of ancient life, suggesting the presence of organic compounds.
The rock contains evidence that water once flowed through it, a critical factor for supporting life billions of years ago.
Cheyava Falls is located on the northern edge of Neretva Vallis, an ancient river valley. It is the 22nd rock core sample collected by Perseverance, taken on July 21.
The rover’s SHERLOC instrument detected organic compounds within the rock, though these could also be formed by non-biological processes.
The rock shows distinctive spots and veins of calcium sulfate and hematite, with irregularly shaped off-white splotches ringed with black material, resembling leopard spots.
Similar features on Earth are often associated with fossilized microbes, indicating that the rock might have been shaped by microbial life.
One theory is that the rock formed from mud containing organic compounds that later cemented into rock, followed by fluid flow creating the calcium sulphate veins and spots.
To fully understand the rock’s formation and potential for ancient life, the Perseverance team suggests bringing the sample back to Earth for detailed analysis with advanced laboratory instruments.