A Martian meteorite discovered in 1992 in Antarctica could contain fossil remains of microorganisms that lived on the red planet. The rock, named Allen Hills or ALH 84001 , originated on Mars 4 billion years ago. Using a high-resolution electron microscope, NASA scientists have for the first time analyzed carbonate disks and tiny magnetite crystals inside the meteorite. And they have concluded that they were most likely produced by magnetic bacteria , a type of microbes that are also found in the muddy sediments of the earth, both salty and freshwater, and that use geomagnetism to orient themselves. .
The find seems to confirm the early existence of life on the surface of Mars or in its groundwater. The news, which NASA will make public in the next few days, has been advanced by the Space Flight now website.
