Life on Mars: What we now know (and still don’t know)
5 years, 1 month ago

Life on Mars: What we now know (and still don’t know)

CNN  

CNN — For decades, space was the final frontier. “Mars is a planet that started with all the same raw materials as Earth, but along the way has suffered changes,” said the European Space Agency’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, David Parker. “You could say it’s kind of broken down.” Because it was once Earth’s sister planet, Parker said scientists must ask themselves, “When life got going on Earth, did it get going on Mars?” Mars lost its magnetic field, meaning nothing shields the planet from radiation. “Whether it holds a record of ancient life, is the food for extant life, or has existed in the absence of life, organic matter in martianmaterials holds chemical clues to planetary conditions and processes.” NASA’s rover has also detected methane on Mars, which is considered the most simple organic molecule and could be another chemical clue of life. And this year, NASA’s Curiosity rover found evidence in Mars’ Gale Crater that there were once ancient salty lakes on the surface – another hint that the red planet could have once supported microbial life.

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History of this topic

Evidence of hot water that’s essential to life points to Mars’ habitable past
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Evidence of hot water that’s essential to life points to Mars’ habitable past

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Researchers have uncovered what may be the oldest direct evidence of …

NASA's Viking 1 lander may have killed life on Mars, claims scientist
1 month, 3 weeks ago

NASA's Viking 1 lander may have killed life on Mars, claims scientist

Firstpost  

A German astrobiologist suggests that humans might have inadvertently wiped out Martian life nearly 50 years ago, during NASA’s Viking 1 mission, which saw two spacecraft land on Mars and conduct groundbreaking experiments to search for signs of life NASA’s long-standing strategy has been to “follow the water” when hunting for life on Mars. Image Credit: NASA A provocative theory …

Did NASA’s Viking ‘kill life’ on Mars? Expert says, ‘It was so much like Earth…’
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Did NASA’s Viking ‘kill life’ on Mars? Expert says, ‘It was so much like Earth…’

Live Mint  

NASA's Viking 1 spacecraft was launched in 1975 to explore the possibility of life on Mars. Dirk Schulze-Makuch, an astrobiologist at the Technische Universität in Germany's Berlin, claimed that the Viking may indeed have discovered life on Mars, but the water-based nature of its life-detection experiments might have unintentionally killed it. “We are water-filled bags, but too much water is …

Alien life could be lurking on Mars, NASA says
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Alien life could be lurking on Mars, NASA says

Daily Mail  

A NASA-led study has revealed that alien life could be hiding beneath the icy layers of Mars. 'The microorganisms typically go dormant in the winter,' Dr Khuller told Space.com, 'when there is not enough sunlight to form liquid water within the dusty ice.' The Martian life that may one day be found in the Red Planet's dusty ice might resemble …

Scientists discover a 'smiley face' on Mars - and it could contain signs of life
3 months, 4 weeks ago

Scientists discover a 'smiley face' on Mars - and it could contain signs of life

Daily Mail  

Astronomers have discovered a smiley-face-shaped structure on Mars - and it could be more than just a planetary quirk. The European Space Agency - which snapped the photo - said: 'These deposits, remnants of ancient water bodies, could indicate habitable zones from billions of years ago.' The European Space Agency snapped this photo of a smiley-face-shaped salt deposit on Mars …

‘Creepy smiley face’ on Mars reveals the Red Planet’s secrets
4 months ago

‘Creepy smiley face’ on Mars reveals the Red Planet’s secrets

Hindustan Times  

The European Space Agency’s Instagram page is no less than a treasure trove for those who love everything about space. The latest share about a “creepy smiley face” on Mars fits that category. The image shows the “creepy smiley face” discovered by scientists on Mars, the Red Planet. Once a world of rivers, lakes, and possibly oceans, Mars now reveals …

Mars exploration: NASA’s Curiosity searches for new clues about ancient water
9 months, 1 week ago

Mars exploration: NASA’s Curiosity searches for new clues about ancient water

Live Mint  

The presence of water on Mars—Earth’s neighbour —is not an alien concept. However, a recent study by an international team has suggested that the fourth planet of the solar system from the Sun might have retained more water for a longer period than previously thought. As the Curiosity rover of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has begun exploring a …

Mars rover data confirms ancient lake sediments on red planet
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Mars rover data confirms ancient lake sediments on red planet

The Hindu  

NASA's rover Perseverance has gathered data confirming the existence of ancient lake sediments deposited by water that once filled a giant basin on Mars called Jezero Crater, according to a study published on Friday. The findings from ground-penetrating radar observations conducted by the robotic rover substantiate previous orbital imagery and other data leading scientists to theorize that portions of Mars …

Life on Mars could be evading detection, scientists say
1 year, 10 months ago

Life on Mars could be evading detection, scientists say

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Lifeforms on Mars could be evading detection by the instruments currently on the …

Life on Mars impossible to detect with current scientific instruments – experts
1 year, 10 months ago

Life on Mars impossible to detect with current scientific instruments – experts

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientific instruments currently deployed on Mars may not be sensitive enough …

Mars rover reveals new details about Red Planet’s water history
2 years, 1 month ago

Mars rover reveals new details about Red Planet’s water history

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientists have discovered the presence of water-altered minerals and organic compounds on the …

Researcher finds first mineral evidence confirming water flowed on Mars longer than previously thought
2 years, 11 months ago

Researcher finds first mineral evidence confirming water flowed on Mars longer than previously thought

India Today  

While rovers trundle on the surface in search of ancient microbial life, the machines hovering above Mars have identified a crucial development in the evolution of the Red Planet. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has determined that water left salt minerals on the surface as recently as two billion years ago. It has already been determined that the surface of the …

Scientists say new evidence suggests water exists on Mars, with possibility of life
2 years, 11 months ago

Scientists say new evidence suggests water exists on Mars, with possibility of life

ABC  

A team of scientists says it has new evidence that indicates salty, liquid water exists on Mars — bringing us one step closer to discovering life on the Red Planet. Key points: Scientists say they have more evidence that indicates liquid water exists below Mars' southern polar ice caps They say this brings humans one step closer to discovering life …

Size matters: Mars was 'doomed from beginning' due to its small size to hold water
3 years, 3 months ago

Size matters: Mars was 'doomed from beginning' due to its small size to hold water

India Today  

Mars, the crimson Red Planet was always doomed and headed towards deterioration, not just because of major climatic events, but due to its small size to hold onto large amounts of water. Researchers have long believed that the Red Planet once hosted vast water lakes just like Earth, which is the centre of research for Curiosity and Perseverance rovers trundling …

Is there life on Mars? Curiosity begins exploring region full of clay, salty minerals
3 years, 4 months ago

Is there life on Mars? Curiosity begins exploring region full of clay, salty minerals

India Today  

The Curiosity rover, which has been trundling on the surface of Mars for eight years, entered its ninth year of the mission by venturing into an unexplored part of Mars. Engineers driving the rover on the Martian surface said that the mountain’s layers in this area may reveal how the ancient environment within Gale Crater dried up over time. “The …

Water on Mars: Mystery Deepens around Dozens of Underground Lakes on Red Planet
3 years, 6 months ago

Water on Mars: Mystery Deepens around Dozens of Underground Lakes on Red Planet

News 18  

Mars is the closest planet that man-made technology ventured to explore life beyond Earth. About three years ago scientists confirmed that the dusty, dry red ball that is Mars, has lakes filled with liquid water. Researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory examined the data from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter and observed dozens of radar reflections similar to …

Martian subsurface has ingredients for present-day microbial life
3 years, 8 months ago

Martian subsurface has ingredients for present-day microbial life

India TV News  

The Martian subsurface might be a good place to look for possible present-day life on the Red Planet, according to a study. The study, published in the journal Astrobiology, looked at the chemical composition of Martian meteorites -- rocks blasted off of the surface of Mars that eventually landed on Earth. "The big implication here for subsurface exploration science is …

NASA's Perseverance Rover Touches Down on Red Planet: Five Things You Didn't Know about Mars Mission
3 years, 10 months ago

NASA's Perseverance Rover Touches Down on Red Planet: Five Things You Didn't Know about Mars Mission

News 18  

Following a 293-million miles journey that took seven months, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Perseverance Rover on Thursday successfully touched down on Mars. The Mars 2020 Mission is the first step towards collecting the samples on the Red Planet and returning them to Earth. For example, the 1997 “Sojourner” showed a rover could rove on the planet, while the …

Was There Ever Life on Mars? NASA's Perseverance Rover to Find Out as it Prepares to Land
3 years, 10 months ago

Was There Ever Life on Mars? NASA's Perseverance Rover to Find Out as it Prepares to Land

News 18  

Seven months in space, a mission that was decades in the making and cost billions of dollars, all to answer the question: was there ever life on Mars? NASA’s Perseverance rover prepares for touchdown on the Red Planet Thursday to search for telltale signs of microbes that might have existed there billions of years ago, when conditions were warmer and …

Most habitable region for life would have been several miles below Martian surface: Scientists
4 years, 1 month ago

Most habitable region for life would have been several miles below Martian surface: Scientists

Firstpost  

Scientists examined Mars datasets to see if heating via geothermal heat would have been possible in that area and found that conditions needed for subsurface melting would have been present on ancient Mars Scientists said that the most habitable region on Mars would have been several miles below the surface of the planet and that life was possible due to …

Potential Life on Mars Likely Existed Several Miles Below Surface of Red Planet, Finds Study
4 years, 1 month ago

Potential Life on Mars Likely Existed Several Miles Below Surface of Red Planet, Finds Study

News 18  

If life ever existed on ancient Mars, it would have lived up to several miles below the surface of the Red Planet, likely due to subsurface melting of thick ice sheets fuelled by geothermal heat, according to a study. “Even if greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and water vapour are pumped into the early Martian atmosphere in computer simulations, climate …

Potential life on Mars likely lived below the surface: Study
4 years, 1 month ago

Potential life on Mars likely lived below the surface: Study

Hindustan Times  

If life ever existed on ancient Mars, it would have lived up to several miles below the surface of the Red Planet, likely due to subsurface melting of thick ice sheets fuelled by geothermal heat, according to a study. Even if Mars had a warm and wet climate 4 billion years ago, with the loss of the magnetic field, atmospheric …

Potential life on ancient Mars likely lived below the surface, study says
4 years, 1 month ago

Potential life on ancient Mars likely lived below the surface, study says

CNN  

CNN — If life ever existed on ancient Mars, it may not have found a way on the surface – but several miles below it. While many scientists believe that Mars was warm and wet billions of years ago before it became the frozen desert it is today, others point to the faint young sun paradox. “Even if greenhouse gases …

Curiosity showed that Mars experienced a megaflood which leads us to believe life might've existed on the planet
4 years, 1 month ago

Curiosity showed that Mars experienced a megaflood which leads us to believe life might've existed on the planet

Firstpost  

A meteor struck Mars and caused mega ripples were about 9.1 meters high and spaced about 137.1 meters apart which is similar to those on Eearth. After analysing data collected by NASA’s Curiosity rover, scientists have found that a huge flood once washed over the Gale crater on Mars, around four billion years ago. According to lead author Ezat Heydari, …

We might be totally wrong about water on Mars
4 years, 5 months ago

We might be totally wrong about water on Mars

Wired  

You’d be forgiven for not noticing it – with everything that’s been going on – but a passionate debate has been raging among astronomers. We’ve long known that Mars has water trapped in its polar ice caps, but the planet also leaves us tantalising clues that water was much more abundant than it is today. Mars’s valley networks are really …

Here’s how it feels to experience the Mars life on Earth
4 years, 5 months ago

Here’s how it feels to experience the Mars life on Earth

Live Mint  

Speaking to The Guardian’s Hannah Devlin in a recent episode of the Science Weekly podcast, former astronaut Kathryn Sullivan said the next big frontier in space exploration has to be Mars. Unfortunately, early Mars expeditions will have to make do with pouched food, says Greene, who spoke to Grace Douglas, the lead scientist for Nasa’s Advanced Food Technology research effort, …

There Could be Traces of Life beneath the Surface of Mars: Study
4 years, 5 months ago

There Could be Traces of Life beneath the Surface of Mars: Study

News 18  

Various space agencies across the globe have launched or planned missions to explore the surface and atmosphere of Mars. Now, a study has suggested that life could exist below the surface of Mars. Atri asserted that repeated bombardment of penetrating Galactic Cosmic Rays may offer the energy to catalyse organic activity below the surface. "When the Rosalind Franklin rover on …

Quest reignited as probes gear up to look for signs of ancient life on Mars
4 years, 5 months ago

Quest reignited as probes gear up to look for signs of ancient life on Mars

India Today  

Mars may now be considered a barren, icy desert but did Earth's nearest neighbour once harbour life? Scientists believe that four billion years ago the two planets both had the potential to nurture life -- but much of Mars' intervening history is an enigma. Mars is "the only planet with concrete chances of finding traces of extraterrestrial life because we …

How a pandemic prepares us for exploring and living on Mars
4 years, 9 months ago

How a pandemic prepares us for exploring and living on Mars

CNN  

CNN — As people around the world rethink many aspects of their lives to combat the coronavirus pandemic, NASA experts say that knowledge and understanding of how to stay safe and healthy will help us prepare for landing on another planet. Stricker’s job is to “make sure that we don’t contaminate Mars with Earth germs when we go and explore …

This is The Strongest Evidence of Life on Mars, Yet; But Even Scientists Are Not Sure
4 years, 10 months ago

This is The Strongest Evidence of Life on Mars, Yet; But Even Scientists Are Not Sure

News 18  

If you thought the latest study released by the Washington State University is going to answer the question about aliens in the affirmative or the negative, it is not going to happen. Researchers have analyzed samples of 3.5-billion-year-old soil from the Red Planet, and discovered the presence of chemical compounds called thiophenes, which are organic compounds. The Washington State University …

Could life have existed on a warm, wet Mars? Ancient Earth crater may explain how
4 years, 10 months ago

Could life have existed on a warm, wet Mars? Ancient Earth crater may explain how

CNN  

CNN — While it’s not possible to go back in time and see if Mars truly was habitable billions of years ago, scientists are investigating the next best possibility: ancient meteorite impact sites on Earth. “Overwhelming evidence exists that Mars had liquid water oceans roughly 4 billion years ago,” said Tim Lyons, University of California, Riverside distinguished professor of biogeochemistry …

Photos show evidence of life on Mars, claims scientist
5 years, 1 month ago

Photos show evidence of life on Mars, claims scientist

India TV News  

As scientists scramble to determine whether there is life on Mars, a researcher from Ohio University in US believes that there is evidence of insect-like creatures on the red planet. Courtesy photographs from various Mars rovers, Professor Emeritus William Romoser's research found numerous examples of insect-like forms, structured similarly to bees, as well as reptile-like forms, both as fossils and …

When – or if – NASA finds life on Mars, the world may not be ready for the discovery, the agency chief says
5 years, 3 months ago

When – or if – NASA finds life on Mars, the world may not be ready for the discovery, the agency chief says

CNN  

CNN — NASA’s next mission to Mars will be its most advanced yet. We’re not.” NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green thinks news of life on Mars is coming soon, and the public isn't prepared to hear it. Bill Ingalls/NASA/Getty Images The agency’s Mars 2020 rover, set to launch next summer, will be the first to collect samples of Martian material …

Life may have existed on warm, rainy, ancient Mars before winter came
5 years, 4 months ago

Life may have existed on warm, rainy, ancient Mars before winter came

CNN  

CNN — Although Mars seems cold and inhospitable today, it was a different story 3 billion to 4 billion years ago. A new study suggests that the Red Planet was once warm enough to host pouring rainstorms and flowing water, which would have created an environment that could support simple life. The new study includes a comparison of mineral deposit …

NASA's Curiosity rover detects high methane gas levels, hinting at life on Mars
5 years, 6 months ago

NASA's Curiosity rover detects high methane gas levels, hinting at life on Mars

Firstpost  

There are two options for the cause of the gas: Microbes or the interaction between water and rocks. NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars has made yet another discovery about the Red Planet – it has methane gas on it. Microbial life is an important source of methane on Earth, it comes from anaerobic microbes called methanogens that are also present …

Mars orbiter finds first evidence of ancient groundwater system on Red Planet, say scientists
5 years, 10 months ago

Mars orbiter finds first evidence of ancient groundwater system on Red Planet, say scientists

India TV News  

Scientists say they have found the first geological evidence of a system of ancient interconnected lakes that once lay deep beneath the surface of Mars, five of which may contain minerals essential for life. According to researchers from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, Mars appears to be an arid world, but its surface shows compelling signs that large amounts of …

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