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| Poster: LOOK LOOK Reply Post Message Date: Tue May 28 15:39:10 2002 |
| Subject: Look What They Found on Mars! |
| Post No: 906 |
Look What They Found on Mars! By Cathryn Conroy, Wal-Mart Connect News Editor Water. Lots and lots and lots of water has been found just under the surface of Mars, prompting scientists to exclaim they may have solved the mystery of what happened to the Red Planet's water. CNN reports that Mars Odyssey has detected substantial amounts of hydrogen under the Martian surface, which is most likely in the form of water-ice. This is particularly amazing because the surface of Mars is as dry and dusty and barren as a desert. But by looking closely at the deep crevices and canyons in the Martian landscape, scientists know water once flowed freely there. Where did it go? Apparently that question has now been answered. It went underground. The presence of water means it could be tapped by future explorers from Earth as a source of fuel and drinking water. CNN interactive presentation: Conduct an instrument check on the Mars Odyssey! (This is very cool!) "It turns out it is really quite a bit more ice than I think most people ever really expected," William Boynton of the University of Arizona in Tucson, told Reuters. "The interesting thing is, it looks like the Viking 2 lander [in the 1970s] actually landed in a region that we think probably had the same ice beneath it. If they could have dug down a meter deep instead of 10 to 20 centimeters they could have found this ice. Isn't that interesting? They were probably right on top of it all the time and never had the slightest idea it was there." Next big question: If there is water, is there life? Scientists caution that while water does raise the chances, it's not conclusive that there is or once was life on the planet. If life does exist now, it's most likely as a microbe. Do you think if there's water on Mars, there is also life there, too? Debate it in the Science/Math Forum! |