Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in our solar system (after Mercury, Venus and Earth). The mass of Mars is only 10.7% of the Earth's. At the moment, the Curiosity Mars rover, which landed on it as part of the NASA program in the summer of 2012, is actively exploring the Red Planet. Scientists suggest that once on Mars there was a fairly dense atmosphere and, possibly, life. indirectly confirm this theory, but the study of Mars does not end there.
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02/19/2020, Daria Eletskaya 21
As you know, NASA's ambitious program to send the first astronauts will begin in the mid-2030s. The beginning of this grand interplanetary event could be the construction of a huge dish in California, with the help of which astronauts will be able to communicate with the Earth. The device, called the Deep Space Network, is designed to create convenient communication opportunities for astronauts to communicate with terrestrial specialists, the portal reports.
Last week, astrobiologists who are looking for life in space were delighted: there is methane gas on Mars. It was discovered by the rover "" - a robot exploring the surface of the Red Planet. On Earth, this gas is produced mainly by living beings, and after it enters the atmosphere, it decays very quickly. It turns out that if there is methane on Mars, it got there recently. Does this mean that there are living beings on Mars too? How do they look for life on another planet?
How are they looking for life on Mars?
On Earth, life is everywhere. You see butterflies and people, animal tracks and bird droppings, even plants - this is also life. Because our planet has been supporting life for billions of years and has had time to spread through land, water and air. But how to find life on a planet that has no traces of it? There is no water on Mars, no trees, no air, and fly to Mars. Humans have never been to Mars either.
That is why scientists are trying to cling to traces of life or its remains: looking for any fossils, traces of bones, gases (you produce gas, don't you) or possible bodies of water that have not yet dried up or frozen - it is very cold on Mars. But life could exist in the cold. Special robots are used to search for its traces. For example, Curiosity:
What does the Curiosity rover look like?
In 2012, scientists officially announced that there is no methane. Hopes of finding life on the Red Planet have greatly diminished. And so, just last week, the Curiosity rover "smelled" methane in the air - very little, much less than can be found in the air on our planet - 21 molecules per billion. And very quickly, this “high concentration” dropped to 1 molecule per billion.
“The plume came and the plume went,” commented Paul Mahaffy, a NASA scientist.
But now it has become clear that seasonal “bursts” of methane occur on Mars. Are they related to life? Unknown. Unfortunately, the Curiosity rover does not have instruments that can tell exactly what the origin of this methane is. It is important to understand who produces it: something alive or not. New missions to the Red Planet will allow us to find out, but they need to be designed and landed exactly on the target where life is most likely to be.
Mars at all times aroused curiosity among scientists and ordinary people, so a lot of research and discoveries are associated with it. The message of scientists that there was water on Mars became a real sensation. Two rovers and three orbiters are currently exploring Mars, with two more to join soon. In our review, the most interesting ideas that arise in the course of these scientific research.
10 Comet Passage Disrupts Mars' Magnetosphere
In September 2014, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft entered Mars orbit. Just a few weeks later, the probe witnessed a rare occasion when a comet flew very close to the Red Planet. Comet C/2013 A1, also known as Siding Spring, was discovered in 2013.
Initially, scientists thought the comet would crash into Mars, but the two objects passed within 140,000 km of each other. Since Mars has a rather weak magnetosphere, the planet was literally flooded with a layer of ions from the powerful magnetic field of the comet. NASA compared this effect to a powerful but short-lived solar storm. As a result, for some time the magnetic field of Mars plunged into complete chaos.
In 2013, the MAVEN spacecraft was launched to study the atmosphere of Mars. Based on observations made by the probe and computer simulations, it turned out that the planet has a rather fashionable "mohawk". The unusual "hair" of Mars actually consists of electrically charged particles torn out of the planet's upper atmosphere by the solar wind. The electric field created by the solar wind, as well as other significant events on the Sun, such as coronal mass ejections and solar flares, pluck ions from the planet's polar zones, creating a cloud of charged particles that looks like a "mohawk".
8 Mars Has Impact Glass That Could Save Life
Impactite is a type of rock created as a result of a meteorite impact, i.e. shock-explosive (impact) impact. This is actually a mixture of various rocks, minerals, glass and crystals, formed due to colossal pressure and temperature. Known sources of impactite on Earth are the Alamo bolide crater in Nevada and the Darwin crater in Tasmania. Last year, NASA found new sources of this substance on Mars.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has discovered impact glass deposits preserved in several craters on the Red Planet. In 2014, scientist Peter Schultz proved that similar glass found in Argentina retained plant matter and organic molecules, so it's possible that impact glass on Mars could also contain traces of ancient life.
If humans ever settle Mars, they will have to develop methods to feed the colonists on the Red Planet. According to scientists from Wageningen University, there are already four vegetables and grains that can be grown in Martian soil and are suitable for consumption after that.
These four crops are tomatoes, radishes, rye and peas. The Dutch scientists grew them in soil, the composition of which was as close as possible to that of Mars, based on NASA data. Although this soil contains large amounts of heavy metals such as cadmium and copper, food grown in it did not absorb enough of these metals to pose a risk to humans.
Mars rovers and probes have been studying the Martian dunes for quite some time, but recent images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have puzzled scientists somewhat. In February 2016, the spacecraft transmitted images of complex dunes that closely resembled the dots and dashes used in Morse code. Scientists believe that most likely the old meteorite crater limited the amount of sand from which the dunes formed, which led to their similar unusual shape.
The "dash" dunes were allegedly shaped by winds that blew at right angles from two directions, which created their linear shape. But how the dunes-"points" were formed, scientists cannot yet explain.
5. Martian mineral mystery
The region of Mars explored by the Curiosity rover in 2015 raised many questions for NASA scientists. This area, known as "Maraias", is a geologically unusual area where a layer of sandstone sits on a "cushion" of mudstone. Marias has an exceptionally high concentration of silica - up to 90 percent in some rocks. Silicon dioxide is a chemical compound found in rocks and minerals on Earth, most notably quartz.
According to Curiosity project scientist Albert Yen, standard processes for increasing the concentration of silica involve either dissolving other ingredients or introducing silica from another source. Either way, you need water. The scientists were even more surprised when they took rock samples. For the first time on Mars, they stumbled upon a mineral called tridymite. Although tridymite is incredibly rare on Earth, there are huge amounts of tridymite in Marias and no one has the slightest idea where it came from.
4. White planet
There was a time when the famous Red Planet was actually more white than red. According to astronomers at the Southern Research Institute in Boulder, this is because Mars relatively recently experienced an ice age much more extreme than those that have happened on Earth. The team reached this conclusion by observing layers of ice at the north pole of Mars. Using ground-penetrating radar, astronomers have seen a cross section in the ice structure 2 km below Mars' ice crust, ostensibly evidence that the planet experienced an intense ice age 370,000 years ago, with another expected 150,000 years ago.
3. Martian underground volcanoes
Recently discovered deposits of tridymite testify to the violent volcanic activity of Mars in the past. New data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter also suggests that Mars once had volcanoes that erupted under the ice. The probe studied the region of the Red Planet known as "Sisyphi Montes".
It has a large number of flat-topped mountains, which are similar in shape to the volcanoes of the Earth that erupted under the ice. When such an eruption occurs, it is usually powerful enough to break through a layer of ice and "shoot" a large amount of ash into the air. This also leaves a distinct trace of minerals and other compounds, similar to that found at Sisyphi Montes.
2 Ancient Martian Mega Tsunamis
Scientists are still arguing about whether there was once a northern ocean on the Red Planet. However, a new study indicates that the ocean did indeed exist and that huge tsunamis raged on it, compared to which terrestrial counterparts simply pale. Until now, evidence pointing to the existence of an ancient ocean was considered to be the remnants of the coastline, but tsunamis up to 120 meters high, which hit the coast every three million years, simply erased the coastline.
Scientists are especially interested in studying craters near the coastline. After all, water must have accumulated in them for millions of years, which makes such craters ideal places to search for signs of ancient life.
1 Mars Had More Water Than The Arctic Ocean
Although the location of Mars' ocean is still debated, scientists agree that the Red Planet used to have a lot of water. NASA suggests that Mars once had enough water to completely cover the planet's surface in one giant ocean 140 meters deep.
At the same time, the water was probably concentrated in an ocean larger than the Arctic Ocean on Earth, which occupied about 19 percent of the surface of Mars. It is also assumed that Mars lost 87 percent of its water, which evaporated into space.
There has been no official announcement from NASA yet. It is noteworthy that such discoveries are usually reported by NASA or scientists in a journal publication. At the same time, the leak occurred in the media.
The discovery was made during measurements of methane levels on the surface of Mars.
Curiosity sniffed out 21 parts per billion of methane, three times more than in 2013.
This isn't the first time researchers have found traces of methane on Mars, but it has been found in the highest concentration so far.
Methane is present in higher concentrations in the air on Earth - it is produced by living things, so the researchers are going to find out if methane on Mars is associated with life on it. Hypothetically, it could appear due to microbes living under the surface of the planet. Curiosity will conduct a new analysis on Monday.
Moreover, such a find may indicate that life on Mars, due to which methane was formed, may be present on the planet right now - if methane had formed long ago, it would have already decayed into its constituent elements. Mission leaders on Earth requested additional data to verify and find out whether such high concentrations were indeed recorded.
However, methane can be produced without living organisms.
It is possible that it entered the atmosphere from underground deposits through small cracks in the ground.
In April 2019, the Trace Gas Orbiter made similar measurements, but the concentration of methane in Gale Crater turned out to be so low that scientists attributed previous data showing higher values to an error in the calculations.
However, the absence of methane in the atmosphere raised the question of where does the carbon absorbed by Mars from the interplanetary medium go. This is hundreds of tons per year, and at least part of the carbon falling on the planet should have been converted into methane. In addition, if methane is detected at the surface, but not by remote sensing, this may support the hypothesis of a gas input with small local releases from the ground.
His task was to find out if conditions suitable for life existed on Mars, to collect detailed data on the climate and geology of Mars, and to prepare for the landing of a man on Mars.
Since landing, Curiosity has covered more than 16 km and climbed 165 m on the slope of Mount Aeolis. He discovered traces of an ancient stream, determined the mineral composition of the Martian soil, drilled the surface of Mars for the first time in history and obtained samples of solid soil.
The three-meter rover weighs 899 kg and travels at speeds up to 144 m/h. It is equipped with cameras, a set of remote research tools, a spectrometer, a bucket for soil sampling, and a set of meteorological equipment. In total, he has 10 scientific instruments for studying the external conditions on the surface of Mars and 17 color and black-and-white cameras for navigation and filming.
The Russian neutron detector DAN (Dynamic Neutron Albedo) was also installed on board. DAN is a neutron "probe" - the generator of the device irradiates the surface of the planet with high-energy neutrons and determines the content of hydrogen, and hence water, as well as hydrated minerals by the property of the secondary neutron flux. Areas with a large amount of these substances are of the greatest interest for the search for traces of life.
Already in the first months of work, Curiosity discovered traces of an ancient lake in Gale Crater, which, according to scientists, was freshwater and contained carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur - the key chemical elements necessary for the origin of life.
Nevertheless, the rover has not yet found traces of life itself. In 2012-2013, Curiosity diligently analyzed soil samples in search of methane, which could also indicate the existence of life on Mars, but to no avail. Finally, in 2014, he discovered the presence of methane in the planet's atmosphere, as well as organic molecules in rock samples. In addition, fossils similar to those that form terrestrial microbes in the shallow waters of lakes and rivers have been found. However, these findings still do not speak directly about the existence of life on Mars.
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On this life-affirming note, we say goodbye, thank you for being with us, pleasant Martian dreams!
Scientists around the world have already responded to the discovery. According to Kirsten Seebach of Rice University (Houston), the discovery will violate the arguments of many skeptics of the habitable Mars theory. “The big takeaway from all of this is that we can find evidence. We can find organic material that has been preserved in clay for over 3 billion years. And we are seeing the release of gases that may be associated with subsurface life, or at least associated with warm, humid conditions in which life successfully thrives on Earth, ”she said.
The main idea that was conveyed to NASA is that this is not life yet, but we got very close to it. “With these new discoveries, Mars is telling us to keep looking for signs of life. I am confident that our ongoing and future missions are preparing even more exciting discoveries on the Red Planet, ”said Thomas Zurbuchen, head of NASA science programs.
The NASA press conference ended, scientists managed to answer a number of questions from journalists. One of them concerned the possibility of using methane in the atmosphere as fuel in future expeditions to Mars. The answer is, of course, yes!
In itself, the discovery of methane on Mars is not news. In small concentrations, it was fixed there before. The current discovery is that for the first time a seasonal cyclicity in its concentration has been discovered. “For the first time, we see something recurring in the methane situation, which gives us the opportunity to understand. This became possible due to the long work of the rover. Long work allowed us to see a picture of seasonal "breathing", - Chris Webster explained.
Scientists suggest that methane may be contained in the subsurface layer of Mars, in water-containing crystals called clathrates. It is assumed that changes in temperature during the change of seasons cause the gas to escape and change concentration.
The concentration of methane in the northern hemisphere reaches a peak at the end of the Martian summer and is 2.7 times higher than the minimum values.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
As for methane in the atmosphere, Christopher Webster does not rule out that currently living microbes are a possible source of the gas. "With this new information, we cannot rule out microbial activity as a possible source," he said.
“The discovery of organics adds to the history of the habitability of the planet. This tells us that these ancient conditions could have supported life. Everything needed to sustain life was there. But that doesn't tell us that life was there."
These molecules may be the building blocks of life, but they may also have other origins. Scientists cannot yet say whether their origin is connected with processes in wildlife. “There are three possible sources. The first is life we don't know about. The second is meteorites. And the third is geological processes, which means that the stones form themselves, ”says Eigenbrod.
The second discovery is the discovery in the surface layer of three specific types of organic molecules.
NASA emphasizes that the discovery of methane molecules does not mean the discovery of life on the planet. Despite the fact that on Earth, methane is indeed often of biogenic origin.
The rover's spectrometer, which analyzes the composition of the atmosphere over the past three years, has recorded seasonal fluctuations in methane - the concentration during these fluctuations changes three times!
Paul Mahaffy:
We are talking about the discovery of "intriguing" organic molecules in the atmosphere of Mars - methane!
the conference has begun!
The Russian neutron detector DAN (Dynamic Neutron Albedo) was also installed on board. DAN is a neutron "probe" - the generator of the device irradiates the surface of the planet with high-energy neutrons and determines the content of hydrogen, and hence water, as well as hydrated minerals by the property of the secondary neutron flux. Areas with a large amount of these substances are of the greatest interest for the search for traces of life.
Gale Crater was chosen for landing not by chance - in the distant past it was a Martian sea, and minerals formed during the life of this reservoir accumulated at its bottom. It was assumed that the study of its soil will answer the question of the existence of life on Mars.
In the meantime, let's remember the history of this rover. It was delivered to Mars on August 6, 2012. The rover was sent to the Red Planet to find out if conditions suitable for life existed on Mars, to collect detailed data on the climate and geology of Mars, and to prepare for a human landing on Mars.
The three-meter rover weighs 899 kg and travels at speeds up to 144 m/h. It is equipped with cameras, a set of remote research tools, a spectrometer, a bucket for soil sampling, and a set of meteorological equipment. In total, he has 10 scientific instruments for studying the external conditions on the surface of Mars and 17 color and black-and-white cameras for navigation and filming.
The press conference will be attended by Paul Mahaffy, director of solar system research at the Space Flight Center. NASA Goddard; Jennifer Eigenbrod, specialist at the Goddard Space Flight Center; Chris Webster, Chris Webster, Senior Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena; Ashwin Vasawada, Research Fellow, Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
NASA often convenes journalists in advance to announce new results of space missions, and this was the case this time. Journalists were invited to NASA headquarters in Washington. The theme is a new discovery made by the famous Curiosity rover. The meeting is timed to coincide with the publication of scientific articles about this discovery in the journal Science. The essence of the discovery was not announced in advance, it is known only to scientists and science journalists who have a subscription to the journal Science. However, articles there are published under a strict embargo, so this cannot be discussed until 21.00 Moscow time. Let's just say that this is very interesting and concerns the eternal Martian question.
Good evening, dear readers of Gazeta.Ru, this evening we will follow together with you an unusual announcement announced by NASA a few days ago, which concerns an important scientific discovery made on the surface of Mars.
