Opal discovered in a meteorite indicates the presence of life on the Red planet

The scientists have been trying to find life on other planets in the solar system or the basic necessities that are required for supporting a life. Mars has always been an interesting planet for the researchers and various organizations around the globe. Another discovery related to the Red planet suggests that there might have been life there once. Researchers have discovered Opals on the planet in a Martian meteorite. Opal or Fire opal is a precious stone and is well known for its red, orange and yellow coloration.

Opal discovered in a meteorite indicates the presence of life on the Red planet – (Photo : Mars Digital Image Model, NASA/Nanna Karlsson)

The stone was discovered in the meteorite, Nakhla, is currently under the ownership of the Natural History Museum in London. The scientists have been studying the opal stone that crashed in Egypt in 1911. Nakhla, the meteorite, is believed to have been separated from its home planet millions of years ago, probably because of an asteroid hit.

The researchers worked on the stone and confirmed that it was indeed an opal fire stone. This also supports the evidence that was spotted by NASA showing the colorful gemstones on Mars however, in small quantity. For this study the researchers used a powerful scanning electron microscope to find the minute traces of the gem in the meteorite. The Opal stone was likely to have been created due to the interactions of water with silica which is similar to the process that is observed on out home planet.

Martin Lee, who works at the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences at the University of Glasgow said, “We know that on Earth opals like these are often formed in and around hot springs. Microbial life thrives in these conditions, and opal can trap and preserve these microbes for millions of years. If Martian microbes existed, it’s possible they too may be preserved in opal deposits on the surface of Mars,”

This is the first time that there has been any conformation of finding Opals from Mars on Earth inside a meteorite. The fall of the meteorite was witnessed by a large number of people on June 28, 1911 and around 22 pounds of debris in approximately 40 pieces was recovered from an area of 2.8 acres. The presence of Opals indicates the presence of water, something that NASA and others have been hoping for a long time.