In a new scientific discovery, an international research team concluded that the Martian meteorite "Tissint" - which fell in Morocco in July 2011 - reveals an unprecedented diversity of organic compounds, and the results of this study were published in the journal "Science Advances". Advances) on January 12th.

The research team is led by Professor Philip Schmitt Kopelin from the Technical University of Munich, with the participation of researchers from Morocco, America, Germany, Austria and Hungary. The research took 9 years due to the difficulty of conducting analyzes on organic materials and obtaining accurate results.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera Net over the phone, Hasnaa El-Shennawy Oujhan, the Moroccan researcher participating in this discovery and a professor at Hassan II University in Casablanca and head of the El-Tarek Foundation, said, "This scientific study is published in the Science Advances journal, due to its great scientific value and the information it provides on these organic components."

The Martian meteorite was found 48 kilometers from the town of "Tissent" (Hasna Ojhan)

An unprecedented discovery

Dr. Hasnaa confirmed during her interview with Al-Jazeera Net, "This discovery is precedent of its kind, because there is no Martian meteorite that includes this amount of diversity in organic materials."

According to the press release of the "Carnegie Science Institute" (Carnegie Science Institute), "Tissent" - which fell in Morocco more than 11 years ago - is one of only 5 Martian meteorites that were monitored during their fall to the ground, and pieces of it were found scattered in the desert. It is about 30 miles from the town of "Tissent" after which it is named, which is located in the south of the kingdom.

In its statement, the institute adds that the detection of organic “Tissent” meteorite compounds can help scientists understand whether the Red Planet hosted life, in addition to understanding the geological history of the Earth.

According to a previous study conducted on "Tissent" in early 2012 published in the "Science" journal by an international research team led by Dr. A year after a very violent event.

And Dr. Hasnaa adds, "The scientific research that is being carried out on Martian meteorites is very important, because so far there have not been any Martian stones that came through expeditions, and it is expected that samples of Martian stones will come through the expedition that is on Mars now, since March 2020, which It is expected to return to Earth in 2024.

The researcher, Hasnaa, led an international team to complete a study in early 2012 on the Tissint meteorite (Hasnaa Ojhan).

Did life exist on Mars?

The Moroccan researcher says, "Attention is now focused on Mars to answer the question: Does life exist on this planet close to Earth? Because there is a belief among scientists that Mars previously contained water or liquids, but the question still remains: Are there living things on the surface of Mars?" ?”

And she adds, "This study about a stone that came from the surface of Mars gives us an idea to study the components and organic materials, because organic materials are the components and the first building blocks for the emergence of life anywhere, and this question is important for researchers and for the general public who wonders: Is there life on Mars?"

The press release of Hassan II University in Casablanca notes that "Earth and Mars are two planets that are relatively similar in their development, yet life appeared and flourished on Earth, but so far there is no conclusive evidence of its existence on Mars before."

The statement stressed that "excavation of organic materials found in the Tecent meteorite can help answer the question about the presence of any life forms in the past on Mars."

And the statement adds, "The in-depth study of organic molecules present in Martian meteorites, especially Tessint, which is an observed fall that was not affected by external terrestrial factors, and thus will be important in answering this basic question. Work on Martian meteorites has shown that these molecules can be formed through inorganic processes." biological called abiotic organic chemistry".

The results pave the way for the study of samples returning from Mars to Earth (Hasna Ojhan)

Very important results

Through this discovery, the researchers confirm that the work published in this study provides the most comprehensive record ever of the diversity of organic compounds found in Martian meteorites, and shows a link between the mineral aspect of the meteorite and the unprecedented diversity of organic compounds it contains.

Studying these abiotic organic materials formed from water-rock interactions also revealed information about the evolutionary processes of the Martian mantle and crust.

The researchers also found organic magnesium compounds on the surface of Mars in an unprecedented abundance, which is a group of important organic molecules, especially as it provides information about the high pressure and geochemical factor of the high temperatures experienced by the interior of the Red Planet, and also shows a link between the carbon cycle and its evolution. Metal.

In addition, the study revealed details about how the processes that occur in the Martian crust evolved, especially with regard to abiotic organic materials formed from the interactions of rocks with water.

The study provides the most comprehensive record of the diversity of organic compounds in a Martian meteorite (Hasna Ojhan)

More research to come

Regarding the future of research with this discovery, Hasnaa ends her speech by saying, "Scientific research does not end, and this approach is part of the science of space biology, and all the capabilities of analyzes that can be conducted on organic matter and the search for water give an idea of ​​the source of life and the formation of life. As for Martian meteorites in general, there are dozens Hundreds of scientific articles are published on it.

The press release of Hassan II University in Casablanca concluded that "the advantage of this study is that it is considered an introduction that paves the way for the study of samples returning from Mars to Earth, especially those related to the formation, stability and dynamics of organic compounds in the current Martian environments."

It will also enrich the contribution to research on Mars, and confirms the efforts made by researchers from Hassan II University and the El Tarek Foundation for more than 20 years to promote Moroccan meteorites at the scientific and heritage levels.