Was Mars ever home to aliens? Water vapor coming out of the red planet suggests that “it may have been habitable,” the study reveals
- Scientists have detected water vapor rising from the atmosphere of Mars
- The findings could provide information about the Martian water cycle
- They also indicate that the red planet may have been the home of aliens in the past
With the United Arab Emirates and China successfully orbiting Mars, the red planet has already dominated the headlines this week.
Now, a new study has put Mars in the spotlight once again, with the discovery of water vapor rising from the planet.
The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos of Russia, made the discovery by measuring light as steam passes through the atmosphere.
The findings offer an 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 Orbiter (TGO), operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos of Russia, made the discovery by measuring light as steam passes through the atmosphere.
Scientists, including two from Open University, used an in-orbit instrument called “Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery” (NOMAD) to study water vapor and “semi-heavy” water.
As hydrogen chloride gas increases, it provides researchers with an indication of the history of water on Mars.
The red planet has several ancient drained valleys and river channels that have long pointed to the possibility of liquid water circulating.
A new study has put Mars in the spotlight once again, with the discovery of water vapor coming out of the planet.
As hydrogen chloride gas increases, it provides researchers with an indication of the history of water on Mars.
Much of it is now enclosed in ice sheets and buried underground.
Dr. Manish Patel, NOMAD’s lead co-researcher, said: “The NOMAD instrument fundamentally changes our understanding of the evolution of water on Mars.
“This fantastic instrument gives us an unprecedented view of the isotopes of water (water variants with different molecular masses) in the Mars atmosphere depending on the time and location on Mars.
“Measuring the isotopes of water is a crucial element in understanding how Mars as a planet has lost 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 provide 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 unearth the mysteries of the red planet.
“Understanding water vapor on Mars would help answer the most important question: was there life on Mars?”
“UK scientists and technology play a key role in NASA ‘s Perseverance rover mission to Mars this month.
“The mission will collect samples from the planet’s surface to further our understanding of our neighboring world.”
A couple of studies were published in the journal Science Advances.
NASA MARCH 2020: THE MISSION TO SEE HELIC ROPTER’S PERSEVERANCE FOR LIFE
NASA’s Mars 2020 mission will look for signs of ancient life on the red planet in order to help scientists better understand how life on Earth evolved.
Named Perseverance, the car-sized main rover will explore an ancient river delta inside Jezero Crater, which was once filled with a 1,600-foot-deep lake.
The region is believed to have hosted microbial life about 3.5 to 3.9 billion years ago and the rover will examine soil samples for evidence of life.
NASA’s Mars 2020 rover (artist’s impression) will look for signs of ancient life on Mars to help scientists better understand how life evolved on our own planet
The $ 2.5 billion (1.95 billion pound) 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 samples that will eventually be returned to Earth for later analysis.
A second mission will fly to the planet and return the samples, perhaps in late 2020 in collaboration with the European Space Agency.
This concept of art shows the Mars 2020 rover landing on the red planet using NASA’s ‘sky-grue’ system