CANADA: Salty water flows on Mars in the summer which raises the possibility that this planet which was once thought to be arid may just be able to support life.
Even though the source & chemistry of this water isn’t known, the discovery will certainly change the way scientists think of the planet and whether it is the most Earthlike planet in the solar system and can host microbial life underneath its radiation blasted crust.
John Grunsfeld, the associated administrator for science at NASA said that it suggests it may be possible for Mars to have life today.
Jim Green, the planetary science director at NASA said Mars isn’t dry like we earlier thought. In some circumstances, liquid water has been located on Mars.
But NASA isn’t in a hurry to search this saltwater for life.
This discovery was made with the help of a new technique for analyzing chemical maps on the surface of Mars that have been obtained by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter of NASA.
They found fingerprints of salts which form in the presence of water inside narrow channels which cut into the walls of cliffs throughout the equatorial region of the planet.
What still remains unknown though is whether the minerals are absorbing the water vapor director from the atmosphere of Mars or if there’s a melting ice source underneath the surface.
The evidence of water being on the planet as early as last summer & in several seasons before was the most important finding of the study released this Monday. The ongoing Curiosity rover on Mars has found evidence of Mars having all ingredients & suitable habitats for the existence of microbial life in the past.
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