Posted on 12/03/2004 9:54:07 AM PST by JesseHousman
WASHINGTON -Scientists studying new data are confident Mars once had water, leading to new speculation about life on the Red Planet.
After studying thousands of images from Mars, scientists are convinced that liquid water once flowed on the surface of the Red Planet, increasing the odds that life may have existed there in the distant past.
As a result, space travelers should act as if there once were -- and perhaps still are -- living creatures on Mars that must be protected from destruction or contamination, according to Jeffrey Kargel, a senior planetary scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey in Flagstaff, Ariz.
In an article in this week's edition of the journal Science, which will be out today, Kargel also pointed out the risk that earthlings could be infected by alien microbes brought home from Mars.
''Planetary protection considerations require the assumption that Martian life exists until we learn otherwise,'' Kargel wrote. ``Before proceeding with sample returns or human missions to Mars, all possible care must be taken to avoid crosscontamination between the Earth and Mars.''
A specialist in planetary geology, Kargel is the author of a new book, Mars: A Warmer, Wetter Planet.
THE LATEST DATA
Proof that there used to be liquid water on Mars comes from pictures and chemical readings by a NASA robotic rover inside a crater near the Martian equator. Scientists said the new evidence removed any doubts and qualifications that marked previous claims of finding water.
''No hedging needed. There was liquid water on Mars. Case closed,'' Kargel wrote in an e-mail message.
''We're certain,'' agreed Steve Squyres, an astronomer at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and lead investigator for the twin rovers that have been exploring Mars since January.
The recent discovery in the Martian atmosphere of traces of methane, a gas produced by plants and animals on Earth, also raised hopes for finding signs of life. But nonliving chemical processes also generate methane, so its presence is inconclusive.
''Ponderings on the life issues remain highly speculative,'' Kargel said.
But the water finding is solid, say 11 reports in Science by astronomers, biologists, chemists and geologists.
They based their conclusions on detailed analyses of images of exposed bedrock several yards down in a small crater, Eagle, on a broad plain called Meridiani Planum.
The evidence studied included ripples in the rocks like those caused by flowing water on Earth, and salty chemicals like those found in dried-out lake beds or acid mine drainage.
'It may have been rather `icky' water -- highly acidic, very salty, maybe super-cold, but definitely just plain nasty water from any human perspective,'' Kargel said. ``Maybe it was good enough for microbial life to enjoy.''
127,000 SQUARE MILES
In a report in the Sept. 9 issue of the journal Nature, based on satellite information, Brian Hynek, a planetary scientist at the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, estimated that water may once have covered 127,000 square miles of the Meridiani Planum, an area comparable to the Great Lakes combined.
''Liquid water, which our results show was once abundant at Meridiani Planum, is widely viewed as a key prerequisite for life,'' Squyres wrote in Science. ``Therefore, we infer that surface conditions at Mediriani may have been habitable for some period of time in Martian history.''
© 2004 Herald.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.miami.com
Sheila, can't see the coils of snakes round your ugly haid.
One malady afflicts those with the need to jack up, and add more lights to their SUV. TPS. Tiny P....well you can figure out the rest....
(A little French lingo there to prove I bear no malice towares frogs. Properly prepared their legs are delicious.)
I interpret this differently. Before terraforming we need to sterilize the entire planet and make sure any life on it is killed off. I think we're pretty sure it would only be slime level stuff, why take the chance. Then terraform. So we use some star-wars level thing to microwave the planet first.
Send in your donations to:
Endangered Martian Critter Preservation Fund
Box 00000000
Fraudville, State of Bliss
Or maybe just realize the temperature on Mars used to be a lot higher than -63 degrees.
If life on Mars is ever discovered, liberals and enviro-whackos will immediately declared that life-form an endangered species and declare Mars untouchable.
BTTT
There is already a proposal to do just that.
Environmentalists in Europe want to divide Mars into green "zones" or "Parks", so they can be set aside (similiar to what we have done with the park lands here),to protect them from future 'development'.
I read the article yesterday.
I'm not sure if it was on here or some other website.
But then the abortionists and euthanasia proponents would jump on this like DemocRATs on a recount.
Another case of - "Truth is stranger than fiction!"
Yes, I can see the benefit of preserving the Martian landscape, the unique trees and other flora are so beautiful. The problem is just what group of rocks should we set aside to be preserved? While we are at it lets set up a moon preserve also and keep it wild with all the life forms protected, you know the Moon bats, isn't that where they come from?
No oil exploration!
I knew if I looked I'd find it.
Take a look at this:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1291843/posts
That theory was proposed in "Worlds In Collision" by Immanuel Velikovsky sometime around 1950. An interesting theory, and he presents lots of evidence which seems to point that way. A pretty good read for science buffs.
Well since I haven't read his book, then I would say 'great minds think alike'!!
lol!
It looked like reddish rock and dust from from a telescope and it was reddish rock and dust when the rover landed. If something worthwhile was there... it would walk up to that billion dollar robot and smash it to bits.
Should'a saved that money for a fleet of orbiting laser platforms with 24/7 coverage of every square inch of the earth.
That's MY kind of space exploration!
Dude, if you have eyes and can see the pictures, you can see that there had to have been water. :P
There really isn't much question. Maybe one of those "we didn't land on the moon" Hoagland-style conspiracy types could convince himself it's all an evil scheme, but otherwise it is pretty much inescapable.
Some people have way too much time on their hands.
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