Could There Be Life on Mars? The Latest Discoveries Explained — Dark Sky Academy

For centuries, humans have been fascinated by the Red Planet. From early astronomers sketching mysterious “canals” on its surface to NASA’s modern rovers collecting rock samples, Mars has remained one of our most compelling targets in the search for life beyond Earth.

Recent findings from NASA’s Perseverance rover have reignited that excitement — and brought us closer than ever to answering a question humanity has asked for over 350 years:

Could Mars have once supported life?

In this article, we explore the history, science, and newest discoveries shaping our understanding of life on Mars.

The Long Human Fascination With Life on Mars

Interest in Martian life isn’t new. In the 17th century, astronomer Christian Huygens was already speculating that life might exist on other planets. By the 19th century, telescopes had improved enough that Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli described long, dark “canali” across the Martian surface.

Although “canali” simply meant channels, the word was mistranslated globally as canals, sparking imaginations everywhere. Some astronomers even believed these canals were built by intelligent Martian civilisations attempting to transport water across a dying world.

This idea exploded into popular culture — most famously through H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds and even a notorious 1938 radio broadcast that convinced listeners Earth was under attack by Martians.

While we now know there are no artificial canals on Mars, that early fascination set the stage for today’s scientific search.

What Modern Science Says Life Needs to Exist

To understand whether Mars could support life — past or present — scientists look for four essential ingredients:

1. Liquid Water

Water once flowed freely across Mars, carving river channels and filling ancient lakes. Today, water exists as:

• Ice at the poles
• Deep underground reservoirs
• Possible remnants of ancient river deltas

2. Organic Building Blocks

Amino acids — the foundation of DNA and proteins — have not yet been confirmed on Mars, but Perseverance has found related organic compounds that hint they may exist underground.

3. A Source of Heat

Mars receives only 43% of the sunlight Earth does, but still enough to sustain basic chemistry. It also has extinct volcanoes that once provided internal heat.

4. Protection From Radiation

Billions of years ago, Mars had a thicker atmosphere and a magnetic field. Today, with both mostly gone, radiation destroys organic molecules on the surface, making underground environments more promising for life.

How Scientists Look for Signs of Life on Mars

Astrobiologists use four main methods:

1. Biomarker Gases

Gases like methane and oxygen can indicate biological activity. Small, unexplained traces of both have been found on Mars — but not at levels that prove life.

2. Fossil Records (Most Promising Right Now)

If ancient microbial life once lived on Mars, it may have left behind mineral traces or fossilised structures. This is the primary focus of the Perseverance mission.

3. Living Microorganisms

Possible, but difficult: radiation likely makes the surface uninhabitable. If microbes exist today, they’d likely be 8+ metres underground, far deeper than current rovers can dig.

4. Technosignatures

Signals or structures from intelligent life. Despite early excitement in the 1800s, no such evidence exists on Mars.

The Latest NASA Discovery: A Major Breakthrough?

In 2024, NASA announced that Perseverance had found a rock containing:

• Vivianite
• Greigite

On Earth, these minerals are commonly formed by microbial activity.

Scientists nicknamed the observable features:

• “Poppy seeds” – small dark spots
• “Leopard spots” – multi‑coloured blotches

These minerals can also form through high‑temperature geological processes, but that seems unlikely in the specific environment Perseverance is exploring — the ancient river delta inside Jezero Crater.

This could be the strongest evidence of past life on Mars ever found.

The Confidence Scale: How Close Are We to Proof?

NASA uses a seven‑level Confidence of Life Detection Scale.

This discovery is currently at Level 1: potential biosignature detected.

To advance to Level 4 — where biological origin becomes probable — scientists need to:

• rule out contamination
• reproduce the mineral formation in Earth labs
• eliminate all non-biological explanations

Levels 5–7 require independent confirmation from other spacecraft or missions.

We are still early in the process — but the possibility is real.

The Next Big Goal: Bringing Mars Samples Back to Earth

The Perseverance rover has already collected multiple samples.

NASA and the European Space Agency are working toward a Mars Sample Return Mission, which would involve:

• A new lander + rover to pick up the samples
• A rocket launching from Mars’ surface
• A spacecraft capturing the samples in space and returning them to Earth

It would be one of the most complex missions in human history — and could finally give us a definitive answer about Martian life.

A Note of Scientific Caution

We’ve been excited before.

Past “discoveries” have produced false alarms:

• 1975 Viking landers showed contradictory chemical results
• 1996 ALH84001 meteorite showed shapes resembling fossils — later debated heavily

Science moves carefully, and extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

But today’s research is more precise and better equipped than ever.

So… Could There Be Life on Mars?

Possibly. And maybe we’ve already found its traces.

The evidence for past life is stronger than ever, thanks to:

• ancient water systems
• preserved minerals
• promising organic chemistry
• advanced rover technology

If upcoming analysis confirms the biological origin of Perseverance’s findings, it would be one of the most important scientific breakthroughs in human history — proving that life is not unique to Earth.

Until then, the search continues.