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COOL FACTS ABOUT WATER ON MARS

Added on: 6th May 2016

 

 

THE FIRST CREDIBLE ASSUMPTIONS OF WATER ON MARS

mariner 9 pictures

The first assumptions of water on Mars came from photographs

sent by Mariner 9, the first spacecraft to orbit another planet,

in 1971. The pictures appeared to show dry river beds and

canyons, leading scientists of the time to speculate about

water on the planet.

 

 

THE FIRST EVIDENCE OF LIQUID WATER ON MARS

Evidence_for_Recent_Liquid_Water_on_Mars

For decades, scientists were trying to confirm the current

existence of liquid water on Mars. Their breakthrough came in

2000 when gullies appeared which were likely made by liquid

water flowing across the planet’s surface.

 

 

MARS HAS LIKELY HARBOURED LIFE

History_of_Water_on_Mars

Scientists studying Mars have found that billions of years ago

the planet’s climate was rather warm and humid, even

partially covered by rivers and oceans.

 

 

WATER ESCAPED INTO SPACE

Mars_atmosphere

Due to Mars’ thin atmosphere, its weak gravitational force

(due to its small size) could not hold all the water on the

planet’s surface. As the planet warmed and liquid water

evaporated, it was increasingly lost into space.

 

 

THERE IS STILL SALTWATER ON MARS

Warm_Season_Flows_on_Slope_in_Newton_Crater_(animated)

Scientists have used high resolution images taken by the

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to identify streaks which

change with the seasons. The dark lines have led astronomers

to conclude they are made by salty liquid water on

the planet’s surface.

 

 

"FOLLOW THE WATER"

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter with Aerobrake

Since all life on Earth must have water to survive, NASA

scientists have made finding water on Mars an even greater

priority than finding life, believing that if we find water, we’ll

find life. To that aim, all recent space crafts and rovers

sent to Mars have focused on the search for water.

 

 

THE BIGGEST FLOOD IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Flooding_after_1991_cyclone

Despite the current lack of running water, scientists postulate

that about 3.5 billion years ago, Mars played host to the

largest flood event known in the solar system.

 

 

SUBSURFACE WATER FOUND FROM SPACE

MRO_using_SHARAD

The European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter has been

successfully using a powerful ground-penetrating radar to

search for evidence of frozen and liquid water

below the Martian surface.

 

 

WATER IS TRAPPED AS ICE ON MARS

Mars_and_Syrtis_Major showing polar ice caps

A massive amount of water is believed to exist on Mars, locked

up in the polar ice caps. In summer, the caps shrink as the

frozen water passes directly from a solid to gaseous form

(sublimation) and in winter, they grow up to halfway

between the poles and equator.

 


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