In 2018, an unusual discovery was made on Mars. Scientists saidthat there is a lake under the ice sheet of the planet. Now reports have been confirmed.
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In addition, three more saltwater reservoirs have been discovered near the South Pole. The discovery, published on September 28 in Nature Astronomy, was made using radar data from the Mars Express spacecraft in orbit of the European Space Agency (ESA).
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We identified the same body of water, but also found three other bodies of water around the main one, says planetary scientist Elena Pettinelli of the University of Rome, who is one of the authors of the article.
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The Mars reservoir theory was quickly ruled out. As reported by Nature.com the main reason was low pressure ruling the planet. This meant that liquid water could not be on its surface.
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But below the surface, yes. The largest, central lake is 30 kilometers in diameter and is surrounded by three smaller lakes, each several kilometers wide
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This may mean that there was or is life on Mars. However, these are only assumptions. For lakes to be liquid, they must have a high salt content.
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This can be a huge obstacle to the emergence of life. In very salty reservoirs on Earth, like the Dead Sea, it is also difficult to find plants or animals (hence the name of the sea).
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Water on Mars. A chance for Earth?
The water found beneath the surface of Mars does not yet offer much hope of supporting Earth’s water resources. Scientists reassure enthusiasts that its extraction may be a matter of many years.
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First of all, it will take years to develop a machine that could extract water from under Mars. Planetologist Dr. Elena Pettienelli in the publication also warns that the salt contained in this water is also extremely problematic. Getting rid of it can be a hassle. After all, it is a great discovery in the history of space exploration.
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