Tag Archives: Mars

Astronomers Claim to Spot Multiple Bodies of Liquid Water on Mars

Two years ago, a team of Italian scientists claimed to have discovered a subglacial lake near the Martian south pole. The same team has collected further evidence to bolster this claim, including the apparent discovery of even more buried bodies of liquid water. The new research speaks to the potential for life on Mars, but not everyone is convinced by the evidence. Continue reading Astronomers Claim to Spot Multiple Bodies of Liquid Water on Mars

Salty Water Under the Surface of Mars Could Have Enough Oxygen for Life

Mars may have a hostile, dusty exterior bathed in dangerous radiation, but a new study suggests that it’s possible life could exist under that inhospitable crust. Pockets of salty water with enough dissolved oxygen to support life may be present in certain parts of the planet, according to a new paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience. Continue reading Salty Water Under the Surface of Mars Could Have Enough Oxygen for Life

Explorers Will Face Dangerous Amounts of Radiation On Their Trip to Mars

Traveling to Mars is the next great step in humanity’s space journey. In Hollywood, the recent movie The Martian and television series The First present reaching the Red Planet as more of a near-term logistics challenge rather than a pie-in-the-sky space dream. NASA is currently orienting itself toward a “Moon to Mars” Mission, but the technical hurdles facing a Mars mission are still massive. One of the most difficult challenges is dealing with the dose of radiation any interplanetary astronauts would face. Meghan Bartels at Space.com reports that new data from the European Space Agency (ESA) has refined our model for radiation during the journey to and from Mars, and it doesn’t look good. Continue reading Explorers Will Face Dangerous Amounts of Radiation On Their Trip to Mars