Researchers at the University of Glasgow have claimed through a new study that a robust evidence for life has come from the discovery of trace amounts of opal gemstones on the surface of Mars. A fragment of a Martian meteorite was examined by earth scientist Martin Lee and his team with the help of a scanning electron microscope.

The Martian meteorite is named Nakhla after the town in Egypt where it fell in 1911. In a paper published in the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science, the researchers have mentioned that a small amount of fire opal is present in the meteorite. Opal is a gemstone often set in jewelry.

What makes the discovery even more exciting is the fact that opal is often found near hot springs, where mineral-rich waters allow microbial life to thrive. The life in question also sometimes gets stored in the opal deposits as if in amber.

Evidence of opals from Mars missions has been confirmed by these findings. “If Martian microbes existed, it's possible they too may be preserved in opal deposits on the surface of Mars. Closer study of Martian opals by future missions to Mars could well help us learn more about the planet's past and whether it once held life”, Lee said in a news release.

Astronomers are of the belief that gemstones that could contain traces of fossilised life are highly likely to exist deep within Martian craters. Scientists have finally found a physical evidence of the existence of these gems on the red planet.

Now, researchers know where to look on Mars for evidence of Martian life during future exploration missions.