NASA shared promising findings for signs of life on Mars

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Lerato Khumalo

Possibility of Life Under Ice on Mars

A team led by Aditya Khuller from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory revealed that sunlight passing under the ice sheets on the surface of Mars is at a level that can carry out photosynthesis. This means that ecosystems in which algae and cyanobacteria can survive could develop beneath the frozen layers of Mars, similar to examples on Earth.

Mars Glaciers and the Role of Dust Particles

According to the research, dust particles accumulating in Mars’ glaciers can trigger the formation of groundwater. This dust absorbs sunlight and generates heat, causing the ice to melt several meters deep. These puddles could protect against evaporation and radiation on Mars, which has no magnetic field.

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Findings Guiding NASA’s Research

Phil Christensen, co-author of the study and an expert on Martian ice, states that similar events on Earth strengthen the possibility of liquid water formation on Mars. NASA researchers consider under-ice regions as a critical area in the search for life in the universe.

Future Research and New Clues

Although no direct evidence of life has been found on Mars so far, NASA’s findings indicate that suitable conditions may exist for biological processes to occur on the planet. These discoveries lay an important foundation for future missions to Mars and are considered an exciting step towards unlocking the planet’s secrets.