The planet Mars had seasons and thus changing weather conditions millions of years ago, just like Earth. That doesn’t necessarily mean that life was ever possible, but the conditions were “favorable for the development of life,” say French researchers in the science journal Nature.
Scientists from the Universities of Lyon and Toulouse have studied measurements from the American rover Curiosity. That cart has been driving around on Mars since 2012.
The Earth is made up of loose plates that constantly slide against each other, slide past each other or drift away from each other. We notice this in volcanoes and earthquakes. The surface therefore changes continuously. Mars does not have that, traces of billions of years old lakes and rivers can be found on its surface.
In layers from 3.8 to 3.6 billion years ago, Curiosity found hexagonal salt deposits. This also exists on earth, for example on salt flats in South America. The hexagons are created when water evaporates in dry seasons. According to the researchers, this indicates that Mars used to have wet and dry seasons. Laboratory research showed that the building blocks for life can arise in such circumstances.
Faster on its axis
Earlier this week, scientists discovered that Mars is spinning faster on its axis. As a result, the days on the red planet are getting shorter and shorter. NASA’s conclusion is based on information from Mars lander InSight. For four years, the spacecraft collected data about Mars and sent it back to Earth. Until it sent its last photo from the planet in December 2022. The vehicle was without power and cut out.
The information sent back allowed scientists at NASA to determine the rotational speed of Mars. As it turns out, the planet rotates 4 milliarcseconds faster on its axis per year. Arcseconds are a unit to indicate the size of an angle: there are over 1.2 million arcseconds in a whole circle of 360 degrees. Days on Mars are getting shorter by a fraction of a thousandth of a second. So a subtle difference.
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