Scientists discover traces of nitrogen compounds in 4 billion-year-old Martian Meteorite

A recent research was conducted by a team of scientists who has discovered a 4 billion-year-old Martian meteorite which once hit Antarctica. According to the reports, Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) issued a press release in which the team has revealed to have found the traces of organic compounds in the meteorite. The scientists reportedly added that the meteorite contains nitrogen-bearing organic material in carbonate minerals. It is the first-ever evidence of the presence of organic compounds on the red planet.

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Martian Meteorite

According to the reports, the team included Atsuko Kobayashi from ELSI at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan and research scientist Mizuho Koike from the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science at Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Kobayashi reportedly stated that the Martian meteorite, ALH84001 is famous and has hundreds of research papers published on it. He purportedly added that he had been studying it occasionally for about 20 years. He claimed that the particular meteorite is at “the centre of the 'life on Mars' debate”. 

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The scientists reportedly stated that the meteorite belongs to the Mars’ Noachian age and has been present for over 4 billion years. The detailed study has been published in the journal Nature Communications. The study reveals the existence of wet and organic-rich early Mars, which makes it favourable for the existence of life forms.

Dragon Aurora

On the other hand, a team behind the HiRise camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shared a unique image of Mars in which they discovered a spectacular dragon aurora on the planet’s canyon. Taking to its official handle on Twitter, the team wrote that the image of light-toned blocky material in southwestern Melas Chasma resembled a fabled Chinese dragon when seen from a different perspective. According to NASA, the natural phenomenon of creation auroras is caused by particles emanating from the Sun that collide with Earth's atmosphere that results in a unique light formation, the space agency wrote on its website.

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