Sentences with phrase «sign of organic compounds»

Not exact matches

Evidence for such an origin might be bolstered if scientists find signs of other materials known to be present in comets, like carbon - based compounds called organics.

With its sophisticated on - board chemistry lab, Curiosity is hunting for more robust signs of habitability, including organic compounds — the carbon - based building blocks of life as we know it.

The craft is designed to dig into the cementlike layer of ice that researchers believe lies buried a few inches below the surface in the planet's polar regions, scanning for signs of past liquid water and organic compounds, the carbon - rich molecules that make life on Earth possible.

The next step in the hunt for life on Mars is getting a better grip on the prevalence (or lack thereof) of organic compounds on the surface and in the atmosphere — and then actually digging down into the crust of the Red Planet, to look for actual signs of life, either in the form of fossils or actual living microorganisms.