Intriguing signals have been detected by the Perseverance rover from the floor and fan top of the Jezero crater on Mars. Laboratory investigations provide insight into the origin of these signals, identifying aromatic organic molecules — polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons — preserved in sulfates.
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References
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This is a summary of: Fornaro, T. et al. Evidence for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons detected in sulfates at Jezero crater by the Perseverance rover. Nat. Astron. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02638-z (2025).
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Perseverance rover finds evidence for organics preserved in sulfates on Mars. Nat Astron 9, 1609–1610 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02646-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02646-z
