News Planetary Science

Organic molecules in an ancient Mars meteorite formed via geology, not alien life

Carbonation and serpentinization may have generated organics on Mars for billions of years

image of meteorite ALH 84001

The ancient Martian meteorite, ALH84001, discovered in Antarctica in 1984, contains organic molecules that researchers now suggest were formed by geologic processes, rather than by alien organisms.

NASA

By Nikk Ogasa

- More than 2 years ago

Read another version of this article at Science News Explores

When researchers in 1996 reported they had found organic molecules nestled in an ancient Martian meteorite discovered in Antarctica, it caused quite a buzz.