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This is the first time that such a volume of liquid has been discovered on the red planet. Experts do not yet know if microbes are present in this water, probably in the liquid state due to the presence of magnesium, calcium and sodium, which act as antifreeze.
A vast underground lake has been discovered for the first time on Mars. Never before has such a volume of liquid water been found on this planet, announces ( in Italian ) an international team of astronomers, Wednesday 25 July. Located under a layer of Martian ice, the lake is about 20 kilometers wide and suggests the presence of more water, if not life, on the red planet, according to an article published in the American journal Science
Ecco il team autore della scoperta #MARSIS #MARSisNEWS @mediainaf pic.twitter.com/en/articles_198
– Agenzia Spaziale ITA (@ASI_spazio) July 25, 2018
These conclusions were possible thanks to the deployment of the Marsis (Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding) radar, on board the European Mars Express spacecraft.
BREAKING: il radar italiano MARSIS individua acqua liquida su #Marte #MARSisNEWS @mediainaf @StampaCnr @SapienzaRoma @UnivRoma3 @univUda @aesa @sciencemagazine https://t.co/idSgkb0PyG pic.twitter.com/3VOMBcIE nf
– Agenzia Spaziale ITA (@ASI_spazio) July 25, 2018
"This is a staggering result that suggests that the presence of water on Mars is not just a temporary runoff revealed by previous discoveries, but a permanent body of water that creates the conditions for life over an extended period of time " commented Alan Duffy, badociate professor at the University of Swinburne (Australia), who did not participate in the study.
The lake water that has just been discovered may, however, not be potable. It is 1.5 km below the surface, in a harsh and icy environment. Mars is now cold, desert and arid, but it used to be hot and humid and was home to a large amount of liquid water and lakes at least 3.6 billion years ago.
Il commento dei presidenti di ASI e INAF sulla scoperta di #acqua sotto the surface of #Marte #MARSIS #MARSISisNEWS @mediainaf https: // t. co / h4FALiRjuf pic.twitter.com/SRWl8Eymg8
– Agenzia Spaziale ITA (@ASI_spazio) July 25, 2018
Scientists seek to find contemporary traces of liquid water. Such discoveries are indeed essential to unlock the mystery of a possible form of life on Mars in the distant past, or even of its persistence to the present day. Being able to access water sources could also help humans survive in future exploration missions to the nearby red planet.
The presence of a possible microbial life form Lake is subject to debate. Some experts are skeptical about this because they believe the lake is too cold and brackish, and contains a high dose of dissolved salts and minerals. The temperature is probably below the freezing point of pure water, but the lake can remain in the liquid state due to the presence of magnesium, calcium and sodium.
"C ' is a discovery of extraordinary scope, likely to reinforce the badumptions about the presence of living organisms on the red planet " estimates Fred Watson, Australian Astronomical Observatory, not involved in the study. "However, we must remain cautious because the concentration of salts needed to maintain water in the liquid state could be fatal to any microbial life similar to that of the Earth" .
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