What we’ve all been waiting for! Scientists have known for years that there might be water on Mars in the form of ice, but this is the first time that we have tested actual soil and found water in it. The discovery was announced yesterday, along with news that Phoenix will add five more weeks to its mission and end in September, not August.
Current thinking is that if there is no water on a planet, there cannot be life. On our planet, wherever there is water, there IS life. No one is expecting to find little green men here – we are talking about tiny bacteria or single celled life forms, not Martians with flying saucers. We’re also more likely to find evidence of PAST life than current living things.
But, we have a reason to look! Congrats to JPL and NASA for this discovery.
Exciting news from Phoenix, the robot sent to the North Pole of Mars to dig for ice and liquid water. Ice has been found! At first scientists were not sure whether the photos showed ice or salt. But when the mystery item disappeared into the air, they knew it had to be water. Water can’t stay liquid on Mars because there is too little air pressure. It just boils away.
So now we know for sure that there is ice on Mars… what else is under the surface waiting for us to dig up?
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