Was Mars once home to ALIENS? Water vapor rising from the Red Planet suggests that “it could have been habitable,” the study shows
- Scientists have detected water vapor rising through the atmosphere of Mars
- The findings could provide information about the Martian water cycle
- They also indicate that the Red Planet may have been home to aliens in the past
With both the UAE and China successfully reaching Mars, the Red Planet has already dominated the headlines this week.
Now, a new study has put Mars in the spotlight again, with the discovery of water vapor rising from the planet.
The ExoMars Trace Gas (TGO) orbiter, operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos in Russia, made the discovery by measuring light as vapors pass through the atmosphere.
The findings provide insight into the Martian water cycle and could provide scientists with new clues as to whether or not Mars was home to life.
The ExoMars Trace Gas (TGO) orbiter, operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos in Russia, made the discovery by measuring light as vapors pass through the atmosphere.
Scientists, including two from Open University, used an instrument aboard the orbiter called “Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery” (NOMAD) to study water vapor and “semi-heavy” water.
As the hydrogen chloride gas increases, it gives researchers an indication of the history of water on Mars.
The red planet has several old dry valleys and river channels, which have long led to the possibility of liquid water once it flows there.
A new study has put Mars in the spotlight again, with the discovery of water vapor rising from the planet.
As hydrogen chloride gas increases, it gives researchers an indication of the history of water on Mars.
Much of it is now enclosed in ice caps and buried underground.
Dr. Manish Patel, NOMAD’s lead co-investigator, said: “The NOMAD tool fundamentally changes our understanding of the evolution of water on Mars.
“This fantastic tool gives us an unseen view of the isotopes of water (water variants with different molecular masses) in the atmosphere of Mars, both depending on the time and the location on Mars.
“Measuring water isotopes is a crucial element in understanding how Mars as a planet has lost its water over time and, therefore, how Mars’ habitability has changed throughout its history.”
In addition to helping scientists understand how a Martian water cycle works, the findings also show signs of magmatic activity.
Sue Horne, head of space exploration at the UK Space Agency, said: “This research is a key component in our quest to unravel the mysteries of the Red Planet.
“Understanding water vapor on Mars would help answer the very important question, was there life on Mars?”
“British scientists and technology are playing an important role in NASA’s Perseverance rover mission, which will land on Mars this month.
“The mission will collect samples from the planet’s surface to better understand our neighboring world.”
A couple of studies have been published in the journal Science Advances.
NASA MARCH 2020: MISSION WILL SEE ROVER PERSEVERANCE AND NEGOTIATION HELICOPTER LOOKING FOR LIFE
NASA’s Mars 2020 mission will look for signs of ancient life on the red planet in an attempt to help scientists better understand how life on Earth has evolved.
Called Perseverance, the main car-sized rover will explore an ancient delta of the river in Jezero Crater, which was once filled with a 1,600-meter-deep lake.
The region is thought to have hosted microbial life about 3.5 to 3.9 billion years ago, and the rover will examine soil samples to hunt for evidence of life.
NASA’s Mars 2020 rover (artist’s impression) will look for signs of ancient life on Mars, in an attempt to help scientists better understand how life has evolved on our own planet
The $ 2.5 billion (£ 1.95 billion) Mars 2020 spacecraft was launched on July 30 with the rover and helicopter inside – and will land on February 18, 2021.
Perseverance is designed to land inside the crater and collect evidence that will eventually be returned to Earth for further analysis.
A second mission will fly to the planet and return the samples, probably by the end of 2020 in partnership with the European Space Agency.
This conceptual art shows the Mars 2020 rover landing on the red planet through NASA’s “sky-crane” system