NASA's Curiosity rover has been exploring the Gale Crater on Mars since 2012, and in that time has come up with some astounding discoveries that suggest the Red Planet was somewhat Earth-like in its earlier times.
The rover has come through again, this time detecting significant amounts of manganese oxides inside of mineral veins.
Said researcher Nina Lanza of New Mexico's Los Alamos National Laboratory, "The only ways on Earth that we know how to make these manganese materials involve atmospheric oxygen or microbes. Now we're seeing manganese oxides on Mars, and we're wondering how the heck these could have formed?"
She further notes, "One potential way that oxygen could have gotten into the Martian atmosphere is from the breakdown of water when Mars was losing its magnetic field. It's thought that at this time in Mars' history, water was much more abundant."
A combination of that weakened magnetic field, ionizing radiation, and low gravity may have both split the water into its separate elements and rendered the Red Planet incapable of holding onto its hydrogen ions, leaving only the oxygen to linger.
Lanza does admit, "It's hard to confirm whether this scenario for Martian atmospheric oxygen actually occurred."
To Aunt Jeannie
This will give you something to think about until we return. Our comment is inside love you Jonny and Chris.
Aunt Jeannie , we got daddy to post this for us , hope you are getting well and feeling better .
ReplyDeleteI think that people( us) lived on Mars first ( eons ago).and it reached a point , like earth is coming to now.....that it was becoming unlivable...and like now exploration was taking place to find a new planet to live on , hence we came to earth , and we have lived on earth long enough to ruin it , i believe that is why we are now exploring other planets to find a new place to live.
We are destroying this planet, while our great leaders are placing the blame on someone, or something else. Trump said that this climate change is nothing more than a hoax to steal jobs from America and you want him to the president of this country?
My smarty pants sister said she think it's time to wash your tinfoil hat and stop hallucinating. Try dealing with facts, you know, those things that you seem to be clueless about.
Lets hear from my smart sister Sha . What did NASA expect, all the planets were basically created the same, same minerals, slightly difference climates, oxygen levels, winds, iron ore, silver, maybe even some gold and many other minerals... The biggest concern would be if life can or has survived on Jupiter and what causes the rings around it !!!
I asked daddy what did he think ? Daddy said son , it is hard to think when all the ladies in the house is smarter than you , just put on your dumb face on and said what when asked a question . daddy is so funny .
wrote by Jonny
Dear Jonny
ReplyDeleteI love your theory that perhaps there once was intelligent life on Mars. It is quite possible. When life was no longer possible there, as the atmosphere escaped, the survivors travelled or transported to Earth. Would it not be the coolest thing if scientists found artifacts or traces of building by these former inhabitants of Mars up there on the red planet?
But it's awful to think we might make a habit of destroying planets and moving on to the next one. Mr Trump could set the global warming fight back thirty years if he gets into power. It has been such a hard journey to make people take notice of climate change and understand the cause of it.
The atmospheric storms and swirling gases on Jupiter are so violent, it may be a long time before a probe could survive inside it long enough to take pictures. Its the fastest spinning planet we have. It spins at about 28,000 miles an hour, or maybe a bit more...(I'll have to check that) and does a complete rotation in 10 hours which is fast for such a huge planet. Spinning so fast makes the climate on the surface so harsh and violent, it's doubtful anything could survive. One thing I am very curious about is if at the center of that swirling mass there may be a solid core. Exciting things are happening now and you will be a witness to them all, you lucky guys. I just know you are going to visit Mars some day Jonny.
Your Daddy does what all husbands do, play dumb so we will leave them alone. But we know all their tricks. By the way, your sisters are very smart and you have to live with that...hahahaha!.
Have a wonderful vacation and thank you so much for the great article. I will think about it while you are away.
Lots of love Aunt Jeannie