EUROPE: The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has circled the planet since 2006, found “strong evidence” of flowing, salty water streams on a few slopes around Mars, Green said. While talking about the latest finding NASA said “We found evidence of water activity in hydrated salts on Mars”. In the meantime, we’re just going to enjoy this gif of the red planet taking a big slurp of water and looking pretty pleased with itself.
“There have been no evidence for water until now”, said Michael Meyer, the lead scientist for the Mars Exploration Program at NASA. After analyzing data taken from an MRO imaging spectrometer, NASA researchers detected signs of hydrated minerals in seasonal, dark streaking lines that have been observed at multiple locations along the planet’s downhill slopes.
“I think all of the scientific discoveries we’re making on the surface of Mars, these observations are giving us a much better view that Mars has resources that are useful to future travels”.
After study images of RSL scientists determined that dark images indicated liquid water under Mars’ surface.
Water is essential to life, so the findings boost the likelihood of life existing on Mars. And Google didn’t miss the opportunity to celebrate the landmark discovery via an innovative Doodle, which depicts the round Red Planet sipping a glass of water. NASA officials say they will launch the insight lander in 2016 to look at the interior of Mars, and in 2020, a new NASA rover will bring Martian samples back to Earth for analysis.
Like road salt used to melt ice and snow on Earth, such compounds can prevent water from freezing at extremely low temperatures. The scientists aren’t sure where the water is coming from though it is believed that billion years ago, Mars had rivers, lakes and other water bodies. “Now we know there’s more to the story”.
The source of the water, though, remains unknown. “Of all the worlds we’ve explored, water flows only on the surface of one – ours”. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been circling the planet since 2006.
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