You are browsing the archive for Water on Mars.
24 April 2008
The Search for Life on Mars: Part 1
Pre-Space Age The prospect of life on Mars has tantalized humans for centuries. We long to find some proof that we are not alone, that the universe is not as empty as it seems, and so we look to the most Earth-like planet in our solar system for signs of life. Early astronomers quickly noticed that Mars shares some properties with the Earth. In 1783, William Herschel discussed the similarities …
22 March 2008
Life != Salt
Bad Astronomy has pointed out a really unfortunate headline over at MSNBC. The short version: somehow the headline writers at MSNBC misinterpreted the recent evidence for salt on Mars as evidence for life… The headline writers clearly didn’t read much more than the headline of the press release. Oops.
15 March 2008
Mars is gorges? Gullies @ LPSC
A half session at LPSC was devoted to observations and analog work on Martian gullies. These apparently young, water carved features are one of the many big puzzles on Mars today. Credit: NASA / JPL/ U. Ariz. Gullies, like the one shown above, were discovered on Mars back in 2000 in images taken by the Mars Orbiter Camera, the first high-res camera in orbit around the red planet. They were …
12 March 2008
Martian Greenhouse: Volcanic CO2 Doesn't Cut It
With all the evidence for water on the surface of Mars in the distant past, we always return to the same question: how was it possible for water to be stable back then? These days any liquid water on the surface would boil due to the low pressure or freeze due to the low temperature (or maybe do both at the same time!). To explain liquid water on the past, …
27 February 2008
Mapping Meridiani: Part 2
Last time, I gave some of the background information about my research. Now, armed with that knowledge, we can press forward and talk about what I do. I look for hydrated minerals. A hydrated mineral is a mineral with water trapped in its crystal structure. The crystal acts as a protective cage, keeping the water bound within it even when the atmospheric pressure is too low for liquid water to …
24 February 2008
Mapping Meridiani: Part 1
The mantra of Mars exploration is “follow the water,” and my research is no exception. Lately, I have been looking closely at the the Meridiani region on Mars, searching for evidence of water-formed minerals near some of the potential landing sites for the upcoming Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. MSL‘s primary goal is to figure out whether Mars is, or ever has been, a habitable planet, so you can bet …
