NASA confirms the evidences for water on Mars

 Dark, narrow, 100 meter-long streaks called recurring slope lineae flowing downhill on Mars are inferred to have been formed by contemporary flowing water. (Source: NASA)

         It’s not for the first time, but, is different this time. NASA generated quite a bit of buzz in recent days with the apparent discovery of flowing water on Mars. Now, to everyone who following space science, this might sound very familiar, because for years we have been reading about efforts made by NASA to find evidences of water on Mars. So, what is the strong point behind the latest discovery that is making a lot of buzz? This time it really is different, because the evidence of water on Mars is much stronger than all the previous occasion. So, let's have a glance at these entire buzz, facts about this discovery in details. 

Why are we interested in Mars?

Let’s start from the basic question that arises at first in our mind, “why are we interested in Mars?”.  After Earth, Mars is the planet with the most hospitable climate in the solar system. Mars is a terrestrial planet with approximately the same landmass as earth though it is only 15% of earth’s volume and 10% of earth’s mass. Because of its red appearance, Mars is also known as red planet. This red planet is the home of the highest mountains as well as the deepest, longest valley in the solar system.

Life on Mars

Due to its proximity and similarity with Earth, scientists have very strong belief of possibility of life on Mars, either today or in past. Though there has been much speculation, no evidence of existence of life on Mars is found till date. However, cumulative evidence is now building that Mars once was habitable. It may once have harbored primitive, bacteria-like life.

Water on Mars

As water is the basic and most obvious source and proof of existence of life, scientists have been trying to find the evidences of water on Mars. They believe that Mars had liquid water on its surface in past, but due to climate change on Mars, water might get disappeared from the it's surface. Earlier Mars had a thick atmosphere, but after the massive climate change that occurs in past, the atmosphere became very thin and the temperature on Mars lowered. This could be the reason why water can’t stay and flow on the surface of Mars in liquid form, but it might today also be available under the surface of Mars. There have been evidences that it may be in the form of frozen water.

Latest discovery

This September, NASA scientists found some strong evidences of water on Mars and this discovery has given us a lot of hopes about the possibility of life on Mars. According to the lead scientist on NASA’s Mars exploration program, Michael Meyer, “there is liquid water today on the surface of the Mars. Because of this we suspect that it is at least possible to have a habitable environment today.”

Dark narrow streaks called recurring slope lineae emanating out
 of the walls of Garni crater on Mars. These are  hypothesized
 to be formed by flow of briny liquid water. (Source: NASA)

Liquid water runs down the canyons and crater walls over the summer months on Mars, according to the researchers. The trickles leave long, dark strains on the Martian terrain that can reach hundreds of metre downhill in the warmer months, before they dry up in the autumn as surface temperatures drop. Images taken from the Mars orbit show cliffs, and the steep walls of valleys and craters, streaked with summertime flows that in the most active spots combine to form intricate fan-like patterns. Dark long streaks caused by contemporary flowing water on Mars. Blue colored areas show where the mineral pyroxene is present, not water. 

Is finding water enough?

Finding evidence for flowing water is not the same as finding life. Currently, scientists don’t know where this water is coming from, or if the chemistry in these Martian seeps is even life-friendly. There are some of the key things about this discovery, you need to know. There are good things as well as bad ones. Let’s start from the bad things first.

Difficulties 

This is not the water sitting on the surface of Mars. The atmospheric pressure on Mars

is so low that liquid water will immediately vaporize on the surface. The evidences we have found is for seeps of salty water that flow down steep slopes, mostly the rims of craters, forming dark streaks, not sitting on the surface of Mars. Also before you start thinking of a second house at Mars, know this fact that this water is not drinkable. The water on Mars contains percolate salt, that can be toxic to human. Salty Mars water is probably not suitable for life. This is the biggest downer in the NASA discovery. Hence this detection doesn’t mean that we have found a viable habitat on Mars.

How does the water exists in liquid form?

The water on Mars is cold, as cold as 10 degree below zero Fahrenheit (-23 degrees Celsius). You may be wondering how water stays liquid at -10 degrees F. The answer to this question is that the water on Mars is super salty. Salt can melt ice on in sub -freezing weather; it can keep water liquid at the frigid temperatures of Mars. Salt helps lower its freezing point way below the average 32 degree F. However, even the salt cannot stop it from turning to ice during autumn and winter when the surface temperatures drop as low as -195 degree F.

Good news

Where there is some water, there is probably more. We don’t know if the salts are absorbing water from the atmosphere or if the water is coming from some other source. Either way, today’s news indicates that there is more water on Mars, moving in a more complicated cycle, than scientists thought before. That increases the likelihood that there are other spots (underground, almost certainly) that have more life-friendly water sources. Though scientists don’t know the origination of water, but as this water contains salt and this salty water may contain some organic compound. Water and organic compounds, these two are the fundamental ingredients of life extremely common throughout the solar system.

Next step

So, the evidences of water have been found on Mars. But the frustrating thing here is that we can’t 'follow' this particular water. Not yet. Because sending a spacecraft to an area where liquid water flows, is much too risky. For now scientists are trying to find out, where this water is coming from. For this purpose the simplest mantra would be “follow the water”, exactly what the scientists are trying to do. Hopefully NASA will send a spacecraft to Mars in year 2018.

Let you know that not only Mars, there are many other comets, planets and moons having water on their surfaces. Jupiter’s moon Europa has a huge ocean, more than twice as large as Earth’s entire, hidden just beneath its icy crust. Saturn’s moon Enceladus has a buried ocean, too. There are water and carbon compounds in comets. There is water at Mercury’s North Pole. There is water on the moon. Mars, finally, has joined the population of bodies where we know water flows and that’s interesting enough on its own.

All of these places are out there, waiting to be explored. The potential of this

discovery is truly revolutionary. No doubt, in near future there will be more

discoveries and those will be greater, exciting and more revolutionary.

Let’s hope for the best.