NASA scientists have revealed that water flows on the surface of Mars – a massive breakthrough in terms of the search for life on the red planet.
Scientists made the announcement on Tuesday morning (NZ and AET time).
According to CNN the discovery doesn’t by itself offer evidence of life on Mars but it does boost hope that there could be some sort of life form on the planet.
“The existence of liquid water, even if it is super salty briny water, gives the possibility that if there’s life on Mars, that we have a way to describe how it might survive,” said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA.
It remains unclear where the water comes from.
Michael Meyer, the lead scientist for NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, said theories include melting subsurface ice or even a liquid-water aquifer that feeds the process.
The researchers’ findings are to be presented in a new paper this week at the European Planetary Science Congress in France.
