Trace amounts of opal have been found on the surface of Mars, and that could be indicative that microbial life could be nearby, a new study has found.

Scientists at the University of Glasgow are arguing in a new study that fire opal is often found near hot springs, where microbial life is most likely to exist in mineral-rich waters, and is sometimes preserved within the opal deposits themselves, according to an NBC News report.

The study confirmed that there was strong evidence of opals from Mars missions, and that future experiments should target these opal deposits for potential leads on Martian life. By further studying opals on Mars in future missions, scientists are hopeful that they could learn more about the history of the planet and its potential for hosting alien life.

Scientists were examining a meteorite from Mars that fell in Nakhla in Egypt back in 1911. That meteorite is housed at the Natural History Museum, and it contained trace amounts of opal, a gemstone commonly used in jewelry but more importantly is often found in mineral-rich waters.

It’s a very small amount of opal that was discovered, but the fact that scientists were able to find it all is significant as it confirms findings from NASA’s imaging and exploration of Mars’ surface that appear to suggest that there are deposits of opal out there. It’s actually the first time that deposits of opal have been confirmed from a piece of Mars, according to a Gloucester Citizen report.

The Nakhla meteorite fell on Earth back in 1911, and was witnessed by many, who heard several explosions as plunged through the atmosphere and broke up into numerous pieces, 40 of which were recovered. The meteorite apparently came from Mars and was probably ejected due to an impact with another large body that had struck the Martian surface, travelling through the solar system for a while before finally findings its way to Earth.