Scientists are in shock after the discovery of what is believed to be bodies of water under the surface of Mars. The discovery was made by European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft using what is known as MARSIS, or the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding.
MARSIS used radar to penetrate the Martian surface and collect data on what comprises the surface itself, and importantly, what lies below the surface.
The indication is that a large seawater lake is sitting below the South Pole of Mars, a claim that had been previously been made by scientists in 2018. The data that were given then, however, were dismissed as being inconclusive. The discovery of saltwater creates the possibility that life exists on the planet, as it would provide conditions in which various types of extremophiles may exist.
Professor Elena Pettinelli, of Roma Tre University, who led the study said of the findings:
"Not only did we confirm the position, extent and strength of the reflector from our 2018 study, but we found three new bright areas. The main lake is surrounded by smaller bodies of liquid water, but because of the technical characteristics of the radar, and of its distance from the Martian surface, we cannot conclusively determine whether they are interconnected."
Roberto Orosei, principal investigator of the MARSIS experiment, added:
"While the existence of a single subglacial lake could be attributed to exceptional conditions such as the presence of a volcano under the ice sheet, the discovery of an entire system of lakes implies that their formation process is relatively simple and common, and that these lakes have probably existed for much of Mars' history. For this reason, they could still retain traces of any life forms that could have evolved when Mars had a dense atmosphere, a milder climate and the presence of liquid water on the surface, similar to the early Earth."
The discovery regarding water on Mars, and the possibility of Martian life, comes just a few weeks after the publication of a report that found phosphene gas in the atmosphere of Venus. Phosphene is usually produced as a result of living beings and has led scientists to postulate that tiny creatures may be living in the gases high above the surface of the planet.
It may very well be the case that we are getting closer and closer to discovering that we are not alone in our solar system.
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