NASA finds liquid flowing water on Mars
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Yesterday's announcement boosts hopes for finding life on the Red Planet
Monday NASA conference revealed potential breakthrough for human hopes of finding a new home someday, as liquid salty flowing water exists on the surface of Mars. The scientists conclusion came after confirming the dark streaks on the surface are associated with water through a process called “deliquescence”.
The provenience of the water is still an unsolved mystery that researchers plan to further investigate in future Mars Exploration Program steps.
As NASA scientists have known for years that Mars has water frozen at its poles, the new discovery increases hope for the possibility that Mars could sustain forms of life, yet to be found.
Researcher Mary Beth Wilhelm suggests that the planet offers "more habitable conditions on the near surface [...] than previously thought", yet depending on how salty and how cold the Red Planet really is.
John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA explained: "The existence of liquid water, even if it is super salty briny water, gives the possibility that if there's life on Mars, that we have a way to describe how it might survive".
The new discovery enables NASA scientists to further continue the quest of finding outer space forms of life, as Jim Green, director of planetary science at NASA, said: "We haven't been able to answer the question, 'Does life exist beyond Earth?'. But following the water is a critical element of that. We now have, I think, a great opportunity to be in the right locations on Mars to thoroughly investigate that."
Monday NASA conference revealed potential breakthrough for human hopes of finding a new home someday, as liquid salty flowing water exists on the surface of Mars. The scientists conclusion came after confirming the dark streaks on the surface are associated with water through a process called “deliquescence”.
The provenience of the water is still an unsolved mystery that researchers plan to further investigate in future Mars Exploration Program steps.
As NASA scientists have known for years that Mars has water frozen at its poles, the new discovery increases hope for the possibility that Mars could sustain forms of life, yet to be found.
Researcher Mary Beth Wilhelm suggests that the planet offers "more habitable conditions on the near surface [...] than previously thought", yet depending on how salty and how cold the Red Planet really is.
John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA explained: "The existence of liquid water, even if it is super salty briny water, gives the possibility that if there's life on Mars, that we have a way to describe how it might survive".
The new discovery enables NASA scientists to further continue the quest of finding outer space forms of life, as Jim Green, director of planetary science at NASA, said: "We haven't been able to answer the question, 'Does life exist beyond Earth?'. But following the water is a critical element of that. We now have, I think, a great opportunity to be in the right locations on Mars to thoroughly investigate that."
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