Martian meteorites frequently make global headlines, but a fascinating discovery by a research team at the University of the Basque Country has revealed something completely unexpected.
The scientists found microscopic traces of ballpoint pen ink while analysing meteorite samples received directly from NASA’s Johnson Space Centre.
Published in Applied Geochemistry, this unexpected finding shows that these rare extraterrestrial samples can easily become contaminated with Earth-based materials during routine laboratory preparation, even though strict sterility measures are carefully followed.
Extraterrestrial samples experience significant physical changes as they move through space and pass through Earth’s atmosphere.
Extreme temperatures and pressures is caused by the entry of this atmosphere, that forms a crusty outer layer over the rock, effectively masking its original mineralogical composition.
Scientists must carefully clean and prepare meteorites using methods such as ultrasonic cleaning, diamond-saw cutting, and soaking in chemical solvents to examine the true material inside.
Nonetheless, it was emphasised by the Spanish research team that these highly varied techniques severely lack standardised, contamination-aware preparation protocols across different laboratories.
The researchers examined six prepared sections of Martian meteorites, collected between 2001 and 2014, using Raman spectroscopy. Even though, they expected to find typical processing residues such as traces of diamond or ethyl alcohol, the results revealed some highly unusual additions instead.
It was identified by the advanced analysis that a synthetic organic compound used in gel pens, a copper-based substance found in ballpoint ink, tall oil rosin similar to that used in commercial printer ink, and blue polyester likely derived from laboratory textiles.
Whereas scientists are very unlikely to confuse these common Earth-based contaminants with real signs of ancient life on Mars, the study strongly recommends using stricter and more consistent cleaning methods to reduce mistakes in future research.
As scientists around the world get ready to receive paramount clean samples from Mars brought by NASA’s Perseverance rover mission, optimizing these preparation methods has become very crucial for researchers across the world.
Also read: NASA unveils first breathtaking Earth images from Artemis II
