Even after dozens of space crafts have been sent to Mars, there is not much that we know about this planet. For years, scientists have been coming up with theories and rejecting them as they have not been able to conclude about the presence of water and life there. This article by a PhD dissertation writing service discusses the top 5 never solved mysteries about Mars that are still an enigma to the scientists as well as those who follow the developments regarding this planet enthusiastically.
Does Mars Have Two Faces?
For decades, scientists have been trying to solve this mystery. It is because the northern hemisphere of the planet is smooth and low, to the extent that is the flattest, smoothest place in the entire solar system, believed to be created by water that once flowed across its surface. On the other hand, the southern half of the Martian surface is rough and heavily cratered, and about 2.5 miles to 5 miles (4 km to 8 km) higher in elevation than the northern basin. Recent evidence has led scientists to believe that the vast disparity seen between the northern and southern halves of the planet was caused by a giant space rock that smacked into Mars ages ago.
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Is There Any Source Of Methane On Mars?
Methane, the simplest organic molecule was first discovered in the Martian atmosphere by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft in 2003. While on Earth much of the atmospheric methane is produced by life, such as cattle digesting food, it is suspected that methane is being produced by something that exists on the plant as evidence suggests that it has been there for only about 300 years. As there are ways to produce methane without life, such as volcanic activity, scientists are still trying to solve this mystery by studying the chemical composition of Mars’ atmosphere to learn more about this methane.
Is There Water On Mars?
Even though the evidence points out the presence of liquid water on the surface of Mars, yet it is an open question if the water is available on the Red Planet and if it would help in setting up a life there. It is important to keep in mind that the planet’s atmospheric pressure is too low, at about 1/100th of Earth’s, for liquid water to last on the surface but evidence has also suggested that dark lines seen on Martian slopes could mean that saltwater might be running down them every spring. This is a mystery that can is still causing scientists and researchers to look for answers.
Does Mars Have Oceans?
Missions to Mars have revealed that a host of features on this planet suggest that there was a time when it was warm enough for the liquid water to run on its surface. According to scientists, this includes the presence of vast oceans, valley networks, river deltas, and minerals that required water to form. However, the problem that current models of early Mar’s climate cannot explain how such warm temperatures could have existed as the sun was much weaker at that time. Scientists are forced to think if these features were created by winds or any other mechanism. To make things even more confusing, there have been findings that hint that ancient Mars was once cold and wet, not cold and dry nor warm and wet, as is often argued.
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Was There Life On Mars?
The mystery that began when the first spacecraft, NASA’s Viking 1landed on Mars successfully remains unsolved even after so many years have passed. Viking was the first and so far only attempt to search for life on Mars, and its findings are still under debate. It detected organic molecules such as methyl chloride and dichloromethane but these compounds were dismissed as terrestrial contamination, or commonly knowns as cleaning fluids used to prepare the spacecraft when it was still on Earth. It has been proved that the surface of the Red Planet is very hostile for life in terms of cold, radiation, hyper-aridity, and other factors but there have been evidence of life surviving in extreme temperatures on earth too which makes the scientists think that there is the possibility of life on Mars.
Water is the sign of life on earth and keeping this in mind, as there were once oceans on Mars, the presence of life on Mars is a very relevant question. The third planet in the solar system continues to be a source of exploration and research for people who want to get some answers about life on earth, according to scientists. By knowing more about what happened here and how, and solving some never-solved mysteries, might help scientists know more about the existence of life in the solar system.
