Hot news of Computer world

Sun Storms

Sun Storms
2012

Yellow Stone

Yellow Stone
2012

San Francisco 1906

San Francisco 1906
2012

Incas Civilization

Incas Civilization
Machu Picchu - Peru

Pages

Possibility of Life on Mars - Recent Pictures by Nasa

Feb 14, 2010

When we think about the end of our earth the scientists hope the best place for life is Mars. Because of its similarity to the Earth, Mars may have been like the Earth in its past. But no signs of life on Mars have been found, scientists will continue to search because they are aware of the potential for life in extreme environments.

Temperature and Pressure on Mars:

The low temperature of Mars makes its atmosphere thin(it's 100 times thinner than Earth's) to make water possible in only two forms: solid ice and gaseous vapor. That means a cup of liquid water transported Star Trek-style to the surface of Mars would instantly freeze or boil (depending on the local combination of temperature and pressure).

But the weather on mars is very similar to earth's weather. The air pressure is so low on Mars that even in the most favorable spots, where the pressure is higher than average, liquid water is restricted to the range 0 to +10 °C. Fresh water on Mars begins to boil at 10 °C. Here on Earth we can have water anywhere between 0 and 100 °C that range is reduced by a factor of ten on Mars.

On mountaintops where the air pressure is low, water boils at a lower temperature than it does at sea level. (At 9000 ft a 'three-minute' boiled egg takes about five minutes to fully cook!) Mars simply takes the principles of high-altitude cooking to an extreme.

Mars Missions and Researches:



Viking has sent an image of the surface of Mars which was shown above. The footpad of the Viking lander is visible in the corner of the image.

The main reason for our failure in finding life in mars is, because the environment of other planets is more primitive, life on other planets (if it exists) may be primitive (such as bacterias) and unsophisticated. If not, life would have developed with ability to withstand otherworldly environments as well as finding material for nutriment. We might have to imagine what such creatures would be like.

In July, 1996, Dr. David McKay along with a team of scientists at Johnson Space Center (a division of NASA),has announced that they found possible fossils of bacteria in a meteorite named ALH84001 that came from Mars. It was found in the Allen Hills in Antarctica in 1984 after having landed there 12,000 years ago. While many scientists were excited at first, much of the proof offered fell apart. NASA said that after two years of study "a number of lines of evidence have gone away".

Several different chemicals and molecular structures were exciting because they looked similar to byproducts of life on Earth. However, these chemicals and structures can also be created without life.

Small spheres were observed in the meteorite which the scientists in 1996 claimed were the fossilized remains of bacteria. However, they are roughly 1000 times smaller than the smallest bacteria on Earth, so don't resemble any life thought to be possible. Organic (carbon containing) compounds were found with the spheres, but it turned out that the organic compounds became a part of the meteorite after it landed on Earth (possibly when water seeped in a couple times over the 12,000 years the rock laid in Antarctica). Carbon 14, an isotope found on Earth is present in the organic compounds, but not in the spheres.

The Viking program of the 1970's was the first to return data that there is currently no evidence of life on Mars.

As part of a more thorough search, the Mars Surveyor Program was put in place. Five spacecraft in all were to be sent to Mars between 1996 and 2005. Those spacecraft were to include the Mars Global Surveyor, and the Mars Climate Orbiter and Polar Lander. Unfortunately, the Mars Climate Orbiter and Polar Lander have been lost. Scientists still hope that after all the information is gathered, they might know more about the evolution of Mars and its potential to harbor life.

So far we've got only negative results in looking for life in a Martian meteroid and on the planet itself. It doesn't show that there is life now on Mars. But maybe there is life that could live in an extreme environment like on Mars.

Recent picture sent by Rover let our spirits high:



The Opportunity rover on Mars has sent an recent Image as shown below lift the NASA Scientists spirits high. The robotic geologist is is lucky to take the picture of a rock named "Chocolate Hills" by researchers.

This rock has a thick, dark-colored coating that is interesting to scientists because many of the rocks in the surrounding area have the same kind of dark stuff. The coating could be remnants of a layer that was changed by the action of water and weather or, it could be a layer of rock that melted when a meteor (less than a foot across) hits Mars. The details about these rocks help us to reveal the history of Mars. Opportunity's mission is to figure out the "ingredients" by studying the chemicals in it.

Stay tuned as Opportunity savors the mysterious dark coating on "Chocolate Hills" rock.

Subscribe to RSS Feed now to keep Yourself Updated.

3 comments:

product review said...

i think there is no life in mars

February 16, 2010 at 6:52 PM
link hunter said...

nice info..

February 18, 2010 at 7:41 PM
Tebinfea said...

I wish you a great sunny day.
Teb.

March 16, 2010 at 1:36 AM
 

2009 ·Our Earth by CWG