Where Did Formaldehyde Rain Down on Mars? Almost Everywhere.
Planetary scientists have modeled early Mars to determine that formaldehyde likely rained down across the planet 3.8–3.6 billion years ago. This finding suggests that the necessary chemical ingredients for prebiotic life were widely distributed on the Martian surface.
Why it matters
Understanding the distribution of organic precursors on early Mars provides critical insights into the potential for life beyond Earth.
In its distant past, Mars was a warm, wet world much more like Earth than it is now, complete with a hydrologic cycle with liquid water rain. Mars’s watery past has made it a leading contender in the search for life beyond Earth, as has its intriguing non-Earthen chemistry.
Planetary scientists know that about 3.8–3.6 billion years ago, conditions were right for formaldehyde (H 2 CO) to form in Mars’s atmosphere and rain down onto its surface.
“Formaldehyde is a simple molecule that can contribute to prebiotic chemistry,” said Shungo Koyama , a planetary scientist and astrobiologist at the Institute of Science Tokyo. “Once delivered to water, it could help form sugars, amino acids, and more complex organic matter.”
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in