NASA Mars rover finds record-breaking trove of organic molecules buried in Bright Angel rock formation

NASA’s Perseverance rover has identified record-level organic chemistry in the Bright Angel rock formation within Jezero crater, adding a potential clue to Mars’ past habitability. New data show mudstones in Jezero contain “macromolecular carbon,” described as the highest concentration of organic molecules on Mars to date. The findings, published Wednesday (June 24) in Science Advances, were not presented as proof of life, but their geological context includes other reported biosignature indicators that NASA highlighted in 2025. Perseverance landed in Jezero on Feb. 18, 2021 and used its SHERLOC instrument to map carbon distribution in rocks and sediments. Researchers compared those results with carbon measurements from NASA’s Curiosity rover at Gale crater, about 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) away, suggesting widespread water in Mars’ deep past. The study also reports the carbon is not heavily weathered, implying relatively recent exposure.