Formerly there were two neighboring planets orbiting a run-of the-mill star in one of the coat of arms of a unsuccessful spiral galaxy. Both were warm, both were wet, both had significant atmospheres, both had volcanic activity, both had seas, lakes and rivers, and both were in the or on the edge of the star habitable zone. We live, are started on a certain, but on the other - we are not too sure. The Earth and Mars are of course the concerned planets.
Everyone is fascinated by Mars. A previously less informed age science fiction of Ray Bradbury and Edgar Rice Burroughs or the imagined channels of astronomer Percival Lowell is the cause of our imagination, and made sure that the red planet now has a special place in our hearts and popular folklore. But even more fascinating is the real, and the planet formation and history for some fascinating speculation. Mars is still one of the few places in the solar system, the people can explore realistic thinking on foot.
Are there life on Mars in his early past as there are on Earth? Still speculative, has caused life on a planet, only to be transported to asteroid impact on the other hand by ejecta? Many scientists believe that life, well microbial life in any case protected from cosmic rays and a fiery entrance can traverse vast distances between planets in the Earth's atmosphere within a space rock. One of the meteorites discovered the snow presented Allen hills of Antarctica by NASA in 1996, and confirmed as Martian by isotopic analysis, enticing crystal structures, contains the fossilized bacteria or chemical origin (if also very small bacteria!). Meteorite ALH84001 can still surprise us.
Future geologists are how they explore Mars to discover fossils in the sedimentary rocks that are wet and warmer over to shed light on the planet? -Kreaturen swimming in the seas and rivers of Mars angespült they were the now high and dry fossilized Martian beaches we've identified with our Mars orbiter? They take the ultimate white JEM ride over waterfalls to Niagara in Vallis Marineris, a Canyon of gigantic width of North American dwarf? As speculated the late NASA astronomer and planetary scientist Carl Sagan (1994), "now would be to explore the world - unfortunately, we are four billion years too late!"
Whether such speculation turns out to be confirmed, things started to incorrectly proceed around 3.8 billion years, life on Earth started about the time. Mars is radiation heat into the room much faster about half the size of the Earth, so that the inner began and core began to consolidate. Without a liquid iron core as a Dynamo began all around the planet magnetic field, disclose, charged particles to the atmosphere and the surface of the Sun. Any provisional carbon cycle would to mahlen-- despite the largest volcano in the solar system (Olympus Mons), volcanism would stop, and thus any possibility of reuse of the planet's carbon rocks.
In addition with the gravity and therefore escape velocity only 40%, that of the Earth and with no protective ozone layer, ultra violet radiation the Martian atmosphere disassociate would pummel water and carbon dioxide molecules into their constituent atoms with hydrogen and drifting oxygen in space. With steadily falling atmospheric pressure, greenhouse effect would trigger the Mars into reverse. Temperatures would fall, the planet of remaining water would freeze, either in the permafrost or underground glacier and life, if it had existed would be forced to withdraw in the last protected under surface niches and habitats.
Is there it is still in the caves of Mars or underground fried hide environment soil, clays and rocks of the above mentioned desiccated, radiation? This is the cause of methane from gasification of NASA - recognized or must this possible organic signature chemical or volcanic origin?
We know deep in the oceans, returned in sulfurous volcanic sources, even in nuclear reactors and solar radiation saturated NASA hardware by astronauts from the surface of the Moon places on Earth like Antarctica from a variety of studies in some of the most inhospitable, that extremophiles are persistent in the extreme! Has to take life foot once, it is incredibly difficult delete.
However the NASA/JPL two Viking probes which touched down in mid-1976 gave inconclusive results of their analysis of the Martian soil. Gases have been exchanged, if a nutrients added to soup to the ground, but found no organic molecules on the surface of Mars. However, were the Vikings, only a small subset of possible life - see on earth found. There is no guarantee that extraterrestrial errors are complied with terrestrial rules.
NASA/JPL Mars Science Laboratory is scheduled for launch in 2011, and with a battery on board tests and equipment can begin, some essential tantalizing show the signatures of life. Have previous unmanned spacecraft of NASA "initiatives follow the water" - both have involved the spirit and ample evidence of sulfate rocks in water formed opportunity Mars Exploration Rovers and sedimentary stratified rocks found made on the Martian surface. The Mars Phoenix lander found copious amounts of water ice below the landing site and the detection of perchlorate saturated water condenses on the legs.
Mars is still a fascinating, mysterious and beautiful world wonders galore to charge our robots emissaries, and finally astronauts for decades and centuries. Now can be desiccated, its rivers, waterfalls, lakes and seas and its warmest days barely above the freezing point of water, but search for life on the red planet is a dream of mankind for centuries. And sometimes dreams true.
Bibliography
Sagan, C., pale blue dot: A vision of the human future in space, Random House, (November 1994)
Andy Fleming is the author of the Andromeda child blog about astronomy and much, much more: http://andromedachild.blogspot.com/.
Andromeda child features an eclectic mix of the interesting articles, news, views and reviews on many topics such as astronomy, cosmology, science in the General federal railways and transport, music, radio, television, movies, politics, psychology, philosophy, history, education and sports (especially Cricket!) This list is not complete, and I am of course open to suggestions for improvement topics for contributions!
