Free Astronomy Magazine January-February 2023 ARABIC VERSION

no relevance to life whatsoever. This is certainly one of the key reasons why astrobiologists are eager for sample return missions from Mars, enabling us to subject every mole- cule within a given sample to the complete array of spectroscopic tools science has to offer to deter- mine exactly what, how much, and how complex each unique chemical species might be. If all goes well, the NASA Mars Sample Return mission hopes to make this eager need a re- ality as early as 2033. The irrefutable discovery of life any- where else in the solar system, be it extant or extinct, would be the most important discovery in human his- tory – rivaled only by the discovery that some organism or some species much more intelligent was attempt- ing to contact humanity. Further- more, this greatest discovery in our own stellar backyard need not be complex, intelligent life – “simple, stupid life” would be just as revolu- tionary. With this first discovery, we would go from being the only planet we know of on which life arose, to being the second planet in our own solar system to also qualify, dramatically changing the percep- tion we have about the uniqueness of life in the universe. If this discov- ered life were found to share the same means of genetic information storage (DNA) and retrieval (pro- teins), we would then have to have the further debate over whether “these seem to be the molecules that, under the conditions of our solar system formation, became the means to life” or “such a similarity almost necessitates that it all started on one planet and found its way to the other.” That all said, organic molecules are virtually everywhere we look and exist in abundance in locations, such as Titan, that we suspect are inca- pable of substantiating, much less sustaining, life as we know it. The leaps from simple organic molecules to complex macromolecules to en- capsulated macromolecules in sim- ple cell-like structures to whatever the first unicellular organisms might have been are wider than the 3,000 km wide Valles Marineris – the solar system’s largest canyon – also on Mars. We’ve little more than strong chemical identifiers for simple or- ganic molecules in limited collected samples and our own understanding of how and where life has existed here on Earth to guide our search for hard evidence for or against life, or even chemical complexity hinting at biological process, on Mars.     T his annotated map shows the locations where NASA’s Persever- ance Mars rover collected its first witness tube and filled its first six samples. The name that the Perse- verance science and op- erations teams used to define a rock target on the Martian surface ap- pears at the top of each inset image. Also indi- cated is the Martian day, or sol, of the rover’s mis- sion and whether the image shows a target that has been abraded for proximity science or from which a core sam- ple was taken. Before collecting a sample, Per- severance uses its drill to abrade the upper few millimeters of the rock surface close to the in- tended coring target. ﺗُﻈﻬــــﺮﻫــــﺬﻩ اﻟــــ ـ ﺨﺮﻄﺔ اﻟﻤﺸــــﺮوﺣﺔ ﻤــﻊ ﻓﻴﻬــﺎ اﻟﻤﻮاﻗـﻊ اﻟـ اﻟﻤﺴــ ﺎر اﻟﻤﺘﺠـــــــــــﻮل ﺑ ﺳـــــــــــ ﻔ اﻧﺲ اﻟﺘـــــــــــﺎﺑﻊ ﻟ ﻮ ﺎﻟـــﺔ ﻧﺎﺳـــﺎ وﺷـــﻬﺪت أول أﻧﺒـــﻮب ﻤﻊ ﻋ ﻨﺎت وﻣﻸت اﻟﻌ ﻨﺎت اﻟﺴﺖ اﻷوﻟــــــــــــﻰ . ﻈﻬــــــــــــﺮاﻻﺳــــــــــــﻢ اﻟــــــــــــﺬ ـﺎت اﺳﺘﺨﺪﻣﺘﮫ ﻓﺮق اﻟﻌﻠﻢ واﻟﻌﻤﻠ ـﺪ ﻫـﺪفﺻـﺨﺮي ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﺜـﺎﺑﺮة ﻟﺘﺤﺪ ــﻞ ﻋﻠــﻰﺳــﻄﺢ اﻟﻤــﺮ ﺦ ﻓــﻲ أﻋﻠــﻰ ﺻـــــــﻮرة ﻣﻠﺤﻘـــــــ . ﺔ ُﺸـــــــﺎرأ ﻀًـــــــﺎ إﻟـــــــﻰ ــــﺔ اﻟﻴــــﻮم اﻟﻤﺮ ﺨــــﻲ ﻟﻤﻬﻤــــﺔ اﻟﻤﺮﻛ ا ﻮاﻟــــــــــﺔ وﻣــــــــــﺎ إذا ﺎﻧــــــــــﺖ اﻟﺼــــــــــﻮرة ـــــﺎرﻩ وإﺟـــــﺮاء ﺗُﻈﻬـــــﺮﻫـــــﺪﻓًﺎ ﺗـــــﻢ اﺧﺘ ﻧﻈـــــﺮة ﻋــــــﻦ ﻗــــــﺮ أو ﺗـــــﻢ أﺧــــــﺬ ﻋ ﻨــــــﺔ أﺳﺎﺳـــــــ ﺔ ﻣﻨـــــــﮫ . ﻗﺒـــــــﻞ ﻤـــــــﻊ ﻋ ﻨـــــــﺔ ــــــــﮫ ﺴــــــــﺘﺨﺪم ﺑ ﺳــــــــ ﻔ اﻧﺲ ﻣﺜﻘﺎ ﻟﻜﺸـــــــــــــــــﻂ اﻟﻤﻠ ﻤـــــــــــــــــ ات اﻟﻘﻠ ﻠـــــــــــــــــﺔ ـــﺎﻟﻘﺮ ـــﺔ ﻣـــﻦﺳـــﻄﺢ اﻟﺼـــﺨﺮ اﻟﻌﻠﻮ ﻣــــــﻦ ﻫــــــﺪف ا ﻔــــــﺮاﻟﻤﻘﺼــــــﻮد . ﺗــــــﻢ اﻟﺘﻘـــﺎطﻫـــﺬﻩ اﻟﺼـــﻮراﻟﻤﺪرﺟـــﺔ ﻣـــﻊ " ﻠﻤﺔ ﻛﺸﻄﺖ " اﻟﺘﻘﻄـﺖ ﺑﻮاﺳـﻄﺔ ﻣﺠﻠﺔ Astronomy ﺎﻟﻌﺮ ﺔ ١١ ــﺎﻣ ا واﺗﺴـــﻮن ﻟﻠﻤﺴـــ ﺎراﻟﻤﺘﺠـــﻮل ﺗﺤﺘـــﻮيﻋﻠـــﻰ ﺑ ﺳــ ﻔ اﻧﺲوﻗـــﺪ ﺗـــﻢ اﻟﺘﻘـــﺎط ﺗﻠــﻚ اﻟـــ " ﻧــﻮاة اﻟﺼــﺨﺮ " ـــﺎﻣ ا ﺑﻮاﺳـــﻄﺔ ـــﺎم اﻟـــ ــﺎش ـ ﺨﺎﺻﺔ ﺎﻟﻤﺴـــ ﺎر ﺗﻘﻮم ﻔﺤﺺأﻧﺒﻮب اﻟﻌ ﻨﺔ ﺼﺮ ًﺎ ﻌﺪ ﻋﻤﻠ ﺔ ﺣﺪث اﻟ اﻟﻤﺘﺠﻮل ، واﻟ ـ ﺤﻔﺮ إن ﻫﺬا ﺑﺎﻟﺘﺄﻛﻴﺪ أﺣﺪ اﻷﺳﺒﺎب اﻟﺮﺋﻴﺴﻴﺔ اﻟﺘـﻲ ﺗﺠﻌﻞ ﻋﻠﻤﺎء اﻷﺣﻴﺎء اﻟﻔﻠﻜﻴﺔ ﺣﺮﻳ ﺼـ ﻋـﲆ إرﺳﺎل ﻋﻴﻨﺎت ﻣﻦ ا ـﺮﻳﺦ ﻣﻤـﺎ ﻳﻤﻜﻨﻨـﺎ ﻣـﻦ إﺧﻀﺎع ﻛﻞ ﺟـﺰيء داﺧـﻞ ﻋﻴﻨـﺔ ﻣﻌﻴﻨـﺔ إﱃ ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ ﻛﺎﻣﻠﺔ ﻣﻦ أدوات اﻟﺘﺤﻠﻴﻞ اﻟﻄﻴﻔـﻲ اﻟﺘﻲ ﻳﺠﺐ أن ﻳﻘـﺪﻣﻬﺎ اﻟﻌﻠـﻢ ﻟﺘﺤﺪﻳـﺪ ﻣـﺎذا وﻛﻴـﻒ ﺑﺎﻟﻀـﺒﻂ وﻣـﺪى ﺗﻌﻘﻴـﺪ ﻛـﻞ ﻧـﻮع ﻛﻴﻤﻴﺎﺋﻲ ﻓﺮﻳﺪ . إذا ﺳﺎرت اﻷﻣﻮر ﻋﲆ ﻣﺎ ﻳﺮام ﻓﺈن ﻣﻬﻤﺔ إرﺟﺎع ﻋﻴﻨﺔ ﻣـﻦ ا ـﺮﻳﺦ اﻟﺘﺎﺑﻌـﺔ ﻟﻮﻛﺎﻟﺔ ﻧﺎﺳﺎ ﺗﺄﻣﻞ ﰲ ﺟﻌﻞ ﻫﺬه اﻟﺤﺎﺟﺔ ا ﻠﺤﺔ إﱃ اﻟﻮﺟﻮد ﰲ وﻗﺖ ﻣﺒﻜﺮ ﻣﻦ ﻋـﺎم ٢٠٢٣ . إن اﻻﻛﺘﺸﺎف اﻟﺬي ﻻ ﻳﻤﻜﻦ دﺣﻀﻪ ﻟﻠﺤﻴﺎة ﰲ أي ﻣﻜﺎن آﺧﺮ ﰲ اﻟﻨﻈﺎم اﻟﺸﻤﴘ ﺖ ﺳـﻮاء ﻛﺎﻧـ أو ﻣﻮﺟﻮدة اﻧﻘﺮﺿﺖ ﺳﻴﻜﻮن أﻫﻢ اﻛﺘﺸـﺎف ﰲ ﺗﺎرﻳﺦ اﻹﻧﺴﺎن ﻻ ﻳﻨﺎﻓﺴـﻪ إﻻ اﻛﺘﺸـﺎف أن ﺑﻌﺾ اﻟﻜﺎﺋﻨﺎت اﻟﺤﻴﺔ أو ﺑ ﻌﺾ اﻷﻧﻮ اع اﻷﻛﺜﺮ ذﻛـﺎءً ﻛﺎﻧــﺖ ﺗﺤـﺎول ذﻟ ـﻚ ﻟﻠﺘﻮاﺻـﻞ ﻣ ـﻊ ا ﺨﻠﻮﻗﺎت اﻟﺒﴩﻳﺔ و ﻋﻼوة ﻋـﲆ ذﻟـﻚ ﻓـﺈن ــــ ﻫﺬا اﻻﻛﺘﺸﺎف اﻟﻜﺒـ ﰲ ﺳـﺎﺣﺘﻨﺎ اﻟﺨﻠﻔﻴـﺔ اﻟﻨﺠﻤﻴـﺔ ﻻ ﻳﺠـﺐ أن ﻳﻜـﻮن ﺣﻴـﺎة ﻣﻌﻘــﺪة " ﺑﻞ وذﻛﻴﺔ اﻟﺤﻴﺎة اﻟﺒﺴ ﻴﻄﺔ واﻟﻐﺒﻴﺔ " ﺳﺘﻜﻮن ﺛﻮرﻳـﺔ ﺗﻤﺎﻣًـﺎ ، و ﻣـﻊ ﻫـﺬا اﻻﻛﺘﺸـﺎف اﻷول ﺳﻮف ﻧﻨﺘﻘﻞ ﻣﻦ ﻛﻮﻧﻨﺎ اﻟﻜﻮﻛﺐ اﻟﻮﺣﻴﺪ اﻟـﺬي ﺗﻮﺟﺪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ اﻟﺤﻴﺎة إﱃ ﻛﻮﻧﻨﺎ اﻟﻜﻮﻛﺐ اﻟﺜﺎﻧﻲ ﰲ ﻧﻈﺎﻣﻨﺎ اﻟﺸﻤﴘ اﻟﺬي ﻧﺘﺄﻫﻞ ﻟـﻪ أﻳﻀًـﺎ ﻣﻤـﺎ ﻳﺆدي إﱃ ﺗﻐﻴ ﺟﺬري ﰲ إدراﻛﻨﺎ ﻟﺘﻔﺮد اﻟﺤﻴﺎة اﻟ ﰲ . ﻜﻮن إذا وُﺟﺪ أن ﻫﺬه اﻟﺤﻴﺎة ا ﻜﺘﺸـﻔﺔ ﺗﺸﱰك ﰲ ﻧﻔﺲ وﺳـﺎﺋﻞ ﺗﺨـﺰﻳﻦ ا ﻌﻠﻮﻣـﺎت اﻟﺠﻴﻨﻴـﺔ ) اﻟﺤﻤـﺾ اﻟﻨـﻮوي ( واﺳــﱰﺟﺎﻋﻬﺎ ) اﻟﱪوﺗﻴﻨﺎت ( ﻓﺴﻴﺘﻌ ﻋﻠﻴﻨـﺎ ﺣﻴﻨﺌـﺬٍ إﺟـﺮاء ا ﺰﻳﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻨﻘﺎش ﺣﻮل ﻣﺎ إذا ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻫﺬه ﻫﻲ اﻟﺠﺰﻳﺌﺎ ت اﻟﺘﻲ ﰲ ﻇﻞ ﻇﺮوف ﺗﻜﻮﻳﻦ ﻧﻈﺎﻣﻨﺎ اﻟﺸﻤﴘ أﺻﺒﺤﺖ وﺳﻴﻠﺔ ﻟﻠﺤﻴﺎة " أو" ﻳﺘﻄﻠﺐ ﻫﺬا اﻟﺘﺸـﺎﺑﻪ ﺗﻘﺮﻳﺒًـﺎ نآ ﻛـﻞ ﳾء ﺑـﺪأ ﻋـﲆ ﻛﻮﻛﺐ واﺣﺪ ووﺟﺪ ﻃﺮﻳﻘـﻪ إﱃ اﻵﺧـﺮ و ﻣـﻊ ذﻟـﻚ ﻓـﺈن اﻟﺠﺰﻳﺌ ـﺎت اﻟﻌﻀـﻮﻳﺔ ﻣﻮﺟــﻮدة ـــــــ ﺗﻘﺮﻳﺒًﺎ ﰲ ﻛﻞ ﻣﻜﺎن ﻧﻨﻈﺮ إﻟﻴﻪ و ﺗ ﺘﻮاﺟﺪ ﺑﻜﺜﺮة ﰲ ﻣﻮاﻗﻊ ، ﻣﺜﻞ ﺗﻴﺘﺎن ، اﻟﺘﻲ ﻧﺸﻚ ﰲ أﻧﻬﺎ ﻏ ﻗﺎ درة ﻋﲆ إﺛﺒﺎت اﻟﺤﻴﺎة ﻛﻤﺎ ﻧﻌﺮﻓﻬـﺎ ﻧﺎﻫﻴـﻚ ﻋﻦ اﻟﺤﻔﺎظ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ . إن اﻟﻘﻔﺰات ﻣﻦ اﻟ ﺠﺰﻳﺌﺎت اﻟﻌﻀـﻮﻳﺔ اﻟﺒﺴـﻴﻄﺔ إﱃ اﻟﺠﺰﻳﺌـﺎت اﻟﻜﺒـ ة ا ﻌﻘﺪة إﱃ اﻟﺠﺰﻳﺌﺎت اﻟﻜﺒ ة ا ﻐﻠﻔﺔ ﰲ ﻫﻴﺎﻛﻞ ﺑﺴﻴﻄﺔ ﺗﺸﺒﻪ اﻟﺨﻠﻴﺔ إﱃ أي اﻟﻜﺎﺋﻨﺎت اﻟﺤﻴـﺔ أﺣ ﺎدﻳﺔ اﻟﺨﻠﻴﺔ ﻗﺪ ﺗﻜـﻮن أوﺳـﻊ ﻣـﻦ ﻧﻈـﺎم )يواد ﻣﺎرﻳﻨﺮز ﻓﺎﱄ ا( ﻟﺬي ﻳﺒﻠﻎ ﻋﺮﺿﻪ ﺛﻼﺛـﺔ أﻻف ﻛﻴﻠ ــﻮﻣﱰ - أﻛ ــﱪ وادٍ ﰲ ا ﺠﻤﻮﻋـــﺔ اﻟﺸﻤﺴﻴﺔ ﻣﻮﺟﻮد أﻳﻀًﺎ ﻋـﲆ ﺳـﻄﺢ ﻛﻮﻛـﺐ ا ـﺮﻳﺦ . ﻟـﺪﻳﻨﺎ أﻛﺜــﺮ ﻣـﻦ ﻣﺠــﺮد ﻣﻌﺮﻓـﺎت ﻛﻴﻤﻴﺎﺋﻴﺔ ﻗﻮﻳﺔ ﻟﻠﺠﺰﻳﺌﺎت اﻟﻌﻀﻮﻳﺔ اﻟﺒﺴﻴﻄﺔ ﰲ ﻋﻴﻨﺎت ﻣﺠﻤﻌﺔ ﻣﺤﺪودة وﻓﻬﻤﻨـﺎ ﻟﻜﻴﻔﻴـﺔ وﻣﻜﺎن وﺟﻮد اﻟﺤﻴﺎة ﻫﻨﺎ ﻋﲆ اﻷرض ﻟﺘﻮﺟﻴﻪ ﺑﺤﺜﻨﺎ ﻋﻦ أ دﻟﺔ داﻣﻐﺔ ﻣﻊ اﻟﺤﻴﺎة أو ﺿﺪﻫﺎ أو ﺣﺘﻰ اﻟﺘﻌﻘﻴﺪ اﻟﻜﻴﻤﻴﺎﺋﻲ اﻟﺬي إﱃ ﻳﺸ ﺣﺪوث ﻋﻤﻠﻴﺔ ﺑﻴﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴﺔ ﻋﲆ ا ﺮﻳﺦ . ﻳﻨﺎﻳﺮ ﻓ اﻳﺮ 2023 ﻋﻤﻠﻴﺔ ﺳﻄﺢ ا ﺮﻳﺦ .