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The Mars rover, Curiosity, has completed its first chemical test of Martian soil. So far, there is no definitive evidence the red planet has the chemical ingredients to support life.
Scientists say a sample of sandy soil analyzed by the rover’s lab contained water and a mix of chemicals, but not the complex carbon-based compounds considered necessary for life. The rover did find a simple carbon compound, but scientists have yet to determine whether it is native to the red planet, or came from elsewhere.
Scientists think the best chance of finding complex carbon is at a 5-kilometer-high mountain known as Mount Sharp. But Curiosity won’t trek there until early next year.
This is a view of the third (left) and fourth (right) trenches made by the 1.6-inch-wide
(4-centimeter-wide) scoop on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity in October 2012.
This pair of images from the Mast Camera on NASA's Curiosity rover shows the upper portion
of a wind-blown deposit dubbed "Rocknest." (NASA)
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity used its Mars Hand Lens Imager
(MAHLI) to snap a set of 55 high-resolution images on Oct.
31, 2012.
中国公共新闻摘编：GAN JADE |
