Life on Mars

Is There Water On The Red Planet ?

Mars and Earth

The Red Planet, associated with the god of War during Antiquity and so named because of the high concentration of rust on its surface, is the place that currently offers the greatest potential for the discovery of extraterrestrial life forms. Indeed, Mars is similar to Earth in many ways: a Martian day is roughly equivalent to a terrestrial day and Mars knows four seasons since the inclination of its axis is very similar to that of the Earth. On the other hand, a Martian year last 686 days and the duration of the seasons vary greatly. In addition, Mars atmosphere is absolutely unbreathable for man since it is mainly composed of carbon dioxide and a hundred times less dense.

Mars temperature and climate

The climatic conditions of Mars are radically different from those of our dear planet Earth. Temperatures are freezing and frequently fall below -60 degrees Celsius, a cold comparable to that of Antarctica. Huge cyclones are unleashed almost continuously raising massive clouds of dust that can sometimes cover the entire red planet. If life forms can possibly develop on Mars, it is quite another story of human colonization. The first astronauts who will set foot on the Red Planet will have to face a very singular situation.

Mars surface

Mars atmosphere and its violent storms are not the only brakes to a man habitation, even if only temporary. Mars surface is riddled with innumerable craters and volcanoes, most of which are currently extinct since the Red Planet is going through a great period of glaciation. Among the famous volcanoes of Mars is Mount Olympus which reaches more than 20 kilometers high for a diameter of about 500 kilometers. Near the equator are littered huge valleys creating a large rift between the two hemispheres.

Mars surface seems to have known much lenient temperatures in the past and some images transmitted by probes suggest that a form of civilization could have existed there at a certain time before being decimated by a cataclysm of cosmic origin. One can indeed glimpse vestiges of monumental structures which could not possibly be the work of Mother Nature. Urban complexes, engineering works and all kinds of ducts sinking into the ground. Is it just a play of light, a kind of optical illusion ? Or maybe it's NASA's way of generating a massive wave of interest in exploring and uncovering Mars mysteries and secrets ?

No matter what one believes, one thing remains certain: Mars planet collided with a huge celestial body as evidenced by the difference in level between the surface and the antipodes. Something gigantic hit the Red Planet, forever changing its appearance and atmosphere, making it arid and inhospitable.

Life on Mars ?

The idea that a form of life can exist elsewhere than on planet Earth has fascinated man for a long time. Analyzes carried out on samples taken by the first probes sent to Mars in the 1970s reveal nothing that might suggest that any form of life exists on the Red Planet and neither suggests the presence of water. Mars Odissey program, launched in 2001 by NASA, can detect the presence of hydrogen which suggests that of water.

Water on Mars

Launched in 2003 as a European Space Agency initiative, the Mars Express spacecraft is capable of digging 2,000 meters deep in Martian soil and detects large amounts of ice from the south pole of Mars. Therefore, we can think that the Red Planet is possibly habitable by certain types of organisms ...

Methane and formaldehyde

The same year, Mars Express also detects methane and formaldehyde in the Mars atmosphere. The presence of methane can be explained in many ways. It can be the fallout of a collision with a comet, the result of a strong geological activity in the subsoil of the Red Planet or the work of methanogenic bacteria.

Bacterial microorganisms

However, the comet hypothesis can be eliminated from the outset since formaldehyde, which comes from the oxidation of methane in the air, is a substance that dissolves rapidly and therefore would've long since disappeared. Given the importance of the quantities found, it can only be attributed to the work of methanogenic bacterias. This thesis is all the more well supported by the fact that methane is found in larger quantities in the regions of Mars more likely to have already harbored rivers as well as some microorganisms. Some data transmitted by the US probe Opportunity have shown that there once was salt water on the surface of Mars, if only a few centimeters.

The Sphinx of Mars

One of the mysteries of the Red Planet is what is called the Sphinx of Mars ; a gigantic face and artificial pyramids that seem to appear in an image taken in the region of Cydonia. NASA argued that it was simply a shadow play caused by the sun and missing pixels, but the most outspoken alien supporters believe that NASA is hiding the truth about a Martian civilization of angels and deities who brought knowledge to Earth.

Ufos around the Red Planet ?

On March 27, 1989, the Soviet probe Phobos 2 suddenly interrupts communications with the Tass agency. The probe was to photograph Phobos and Deimos, the two moons of Mars. The last transmitted images show an unidentified object approaching the probe very shortly before it disappeared. Is it a collision with an asteroid? Some specialists believe that extraterrestrial spaceship appearances are quite common around Mars but kept secret by official bodies.