New Mars Forums

kevinluther111

InActive

Registered: 2017-03-27

Posts: 2

Life on Mars

The possibility of life on Mars is a subject of significant interest to astrobiology due to the planet's proximity and similarities to Earth. To date no proof has been found of past or present life on Mars. However, cumulative evidence is now building that the ancient surface environment of Mars had liquid water and may have been habitable for microorganisms. The existence of habitable conditions does not necessarily indicate the presence of life.Scientific searches for evidence of life began in the 19th century, and they continue today via telescopic investigations and landed missions. While early work focused on phenomenology and bordered on fantasy, modern scientific inquiry has emphasized the search for water, chemical biosignatures in the soil and rocks at the planet's surface, and biomarker gases in the atmosphere. On November 22, 2016, NASA reported finding a large amount of underground ice in the Utopia Planitia region of Mars. The volume of water detected has been estimated to be equivalent to the volume of water in Lake Superior.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,428

Re: Life on Mars

Moved location to correct forum folder....

Possible life in the first few billion year does seem possible but its not going to be anything but singled celled and not miuch greater in cellular size as that takes much longer to occur at a higher energy level than twhat mars was recieving form the sun. At its greater distance when compared to earth it is deprived of that important ingredient even when we give all the water and nutrients needed for life to exist.

It is believed that back that far on the timeline of planetary developement that venus, earth and mars shared via impacts possible life which may explain the virus and other uniqueness that earth does have now in its diversity.