Glass deposits show Mars once had life

Washington: In a pioneering feat, researchers have discovered glass deposits on the Red Planet, providing a delicate window into the possibility of past life on the Red Planet. Using data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), the team from Brown University detected deposits of glass within impact craters on Mars formed in the searing heat of a violent impact.

Previous research has shown that ancient biosignatures can be preserved in impact glass. Cannon and co-author professor Jack Mustard showed that large glass deposits are present in several ancient yet well-preserved craters scattered across the Martian surface.

These glass deposits are relatively common impact features on Mars and could be targets for future exploration. To identify minerals and rock types remotely, scientists measure the spectra of light reflected off the planet's surface. But impact glass does not have a particularly strong spectral signal.

Once he had the signal from the lab glass, he used an algorithm designed to pick out similar signals in data from NASA's MRO. The technique was able to pinpoint deposits around several crater central peaks. The fact that the deposits were found on central peaks is a good indicator that they have an impact origin. Knowing that impact glass can preserve ancient signs of life opens a potential new strategy in the search for ancient Martian life.