It’s amazing what we’re still learning about some of our closest neighbours in the solar system. Mars has long been a source of fascination for us and now it seems that the idea of Martian life isn’t as far-fetched as we might have thought. The latest discovery is that there are several large liquid bodies under the south pole on Mars, which have been described as subterranean lakes. Researchers made the discovery using data collected by a radar instrument on the Mars Express spacecraft, which was launched by the European Space Agency and has been orbiting the red planet since December 2003. The Independent pointed out that, as well as lending more support to the idea that there could be life on Mars, this latest discovery will also be important in “planetary protection”, which means not contaminating other worlds with life from Earth when we make it to the surface of other planets. Speaking to the BBC, co-author of the study Graziella Caprarelli, from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia, said that they believe these bodies of liquid will have a very high salinity. Scientists have even conducted experiments here on Earth showing that water with dissolved salts of magnesium and calcium perchlorate can stay liquid even at temperatures as low as -123 degrees C, the news provider revealed. “These experiments have demonstrated that brines can persist for geologically significant periods of time even at the temperatures typical of the Martian polar regions,” Ms Caprarelli stated. If you love space, pick up some space art paintings on canvas to give you an extraterrestrial view until you’re able to book a space flight and see the sights for yourself! via Jupiter Future https://jupiterfuturespaceshop.wordpress.com/2020/10/05/lakes-found-on-mars/
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