Was Mars formerly the home of ALIENS? Water vapor coming from the Red Planet indicates that it could have been ‘habitable’, study reveals
- Scientists have noticed water vapor rising through Mars’ atmosphere
- The findings could provide insights into the Mars water cycle
- They also indicate that the Red Planet may have been home to aliens in the past.
As the United Arab Emirates and China have successfully reached the orbit of Mars, the Red Planet has already dominated the headlines this week.
Now a new study has put Mars back in the spotlight with the discovery of water vapor rising from the planet.
The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Roscosmos, made the discovery by measuring light as vapor passes through the atmosphere.
The findings provide insight into the Martian water cycle and may give scientists fresh clues as to whether Mars was ever home.
The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Roscosmos, made the discovery by measuring light as vapor passes through the atmosphere.
Scientists, including two from the Open University, used an instrument on board the orbit called ‘Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery’ (NOMAD) to study water vapor and ‘semi-heavy’ water.
As hydrogen chloride gas rises, it gives scientists an indication of the history of water on Mars.
The red planet contains several parched valleys and river channels that have long indicated the possibility of liquid water flowing there.
A new study has put Mars back in the spotlight with the discovery of water vapor rising from the planet.
As hydrogen chloride gas rises, it gives scientists an indication of the history of water on Mars
Many of them have now been locked up in the refrigerators and buried under the ground.
Dr Manish Patel, co-principal researcher at NOMAD, said: ‘The NOMAD tool is fundamentally changing our understanding of the evolution of water on Mars.
‘This fantastic instrument gives us a glimpse of water isotopes (water variants with different molecular masses) that have never been seen before, in the atmosphere of Mars as a function of time and place on Mars.
“Measuring water isotopes is an important element in understanding how Mars as a planet has lost its water over time, and therefore how the habitability of Mars has changed throughout its history.”
In addition to helping scientists understand the workings of a Martian water cycle, it also provides 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 discover the mysteries of the Red Planet.
‘The concept of water vapor on Mars would help answer the most important question, was there life on Mars?
‘British scientists and technology are playing a leading role in Nasa’s Perseverance Rover mission due to land on Mars this month.
“The mission will collect samples from the planet’s surface to advance our understanding of our neighboring world.”
A few studies have been published in the Science Advances journal.
NASA MARCH 2020: THE MISSION WILL SEE THE PERSEVERANCE ROVER AND INGENUITY HELICOPTER FOR LIFE
NASA’s Mars 2020 mission will search for signs of ancient life on the Red Planet in an effort to help scientists better understand how life on Earth evolved.
Named Perseverance, the main motorcycle will explore an ancient river delta in the Jezero crater, which was once filled with a deep lake of 1600 meters.
It is believed that the region offered microbial life about 3.5 to 3.9 billion years ago, and the rover will examine soil samples to look 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) Mars 2020 spacecraft launched on July 30 with its aircraft 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 further analysis.
A second mission will fly to the planet and return the monsters, perhaps by the later 2020s in partnership with the European Space Agency.
This concept art shows how the Mars 2020 rover lands on the red planet via NASA’s ‘sky-crane’ system