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Verification of the existence of an underground lake, liquid and salty in March under a layer of ice, increases the chances of finding life on the red planet, according to the scientists consulted by Efe, who pointed out that this could be one of the scientific discoveries of the year.
Italian researchers announced today that for the first time there is evidence of the presence on Mars of liquid water, in addition to salt, in an underground lake under a layer of ice, thanks to to the results of the radar installed in the probe Mars Express of the European Space Agency (ESA).
The important discovery concludes that in an area called Southern Plamun, located in the ice cap of the south pole of Mars, the profile drawn by the radar is very similar to that of the large lakes of liquid water found under the Antarctica and Greenland on Earth.
For Alberto González Fairén, of the Center for Astrobiology (CAB), in Madrid, it is "the scientific discovery of the year" and the discovery of this water Liquid makes life on Mars much more possible, "an opinion shared by José Antonio Rodríguez Manfredi, also from CAB:" This increases the chances of finding life; previously he was suspected, but there was no empirical evidence. "
For González Fairén, with this discovery and discovery of organic compounds that the Curiosity rover did a month ago, " we now know that Mars has the basic ingredients we are made of all living things : liquid water and organic compounds. "
This scientist told Efe that, in any case, it could be that what Mars Express has detected is not a lake in the strict sense of the term being a mbad of people. clean water, like sub-Antarctic lakes, but only saturated sediments of water, that is, very wet mud.
This would not, however, diminish the significance of the discovery : Soil and liquid water, even tiny droplets, are an ideal habitat for microorganisms.
This is a first result, said a researcher at the Center for Research on Entíficas and l & # 39; National Institute of Aerospace Technology, which pointed out that "there could be other areas on Mars with underground lakes, even more accessible areas for our robots (the poles are places of difficult access)"
looking for evidence of life or its remains under the surface "is the next undeniable goal in the exploration of Mars. "
In this sense, he explained that the next two rovers that will be sent to the red planet in 2020 (ExoMars of ESA and March2020 from NASA) share this priority goal: "This is an extraordinary moment in planetary exploration."
The astronomer and director of the Pamplona Planetarium, Javier Armentia , agreed that this is one of the "relevant" discoveries of March and of the year, and stated that the MARSIS radar installed in the Mars Express probe gave a confirmation that there is one or that which occurs in the Earth, that in the great mbades of ice there are lakes.
"The detection with this radar is quite reliable and if there is water at the kilometer and peak under the ice it means and they are possible." then be given? Now it is legitimate to ask him " he added. EFE
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