First lake of liquid water discovered on Mars

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A huge underground lake was detected for the first time on Mars, suggesting that there is more water – and possibly to be even alive – international astronomers announced on Wednesday.

Located under a layer of Martian ice, the lake is about 20 kilometers wide, according to the report published by Italian researchers in the American journal Science

. the red planet.

"This is an amazing result that suggests that water on Mars is not a temporary net as previous discoveries but a persistent water mbad that provides living conditions for long periods of time. periods of time, "said Alan Duffy. badociate professor at the University of Swinburne in Australia, who was not involved in the study.

Mars is now cold, barren and dry, but it was hot and humid. There was at least 3.6 billion years of liquid water and lakes.

Scientists are eager to find signs of contemporary water, as these discoveries are essential to discover the mystery of life on Mars.

The possibility of having access to water sources could also help humans survive during a future crewed mission on the planet next to Earth

However, this The particular lake would not be potable and would be almost 1,500 kilometers below the icy surface in a harsh and icy environment.

The question of whether microbial life forms are found in the interior is controversial.

Some experts are skeptical of this possibility. briny, and mixed with a high dose of dissolved salts and minerals.

The temperature is probably lower than the freezing point of pure water, but may remain liquid due to the presence of magnesium, calcium and sodium.

"This is a discovery of extraordinary significance, which can only increase speculation about the presence of living organisms on the red planet", said Fred Watson, of the Australian Astronomical Observatory

. however, as the concentration of salts needed to keep liquid water could be fatal for any microbial life similar to that of the Earth, "added Watson, who was not involved in the research. [19659004] Radar Detection

The discovery was made using radar instruments aboard the Mars Express orbiter of the European Space Agency, launched in 2003.

L & # 39th instrument is called Mars Advanced Radar for the Subsurface and Ionospheric Survey (MARSIS) .The sending of radar pulses that penetrate the surface and ice caps.

MARSIS "then measures how radio waves propagate and reflect towards the spacecraft, "says the study.

These reflections" provide scientists with information about what lies beneath the surface. "

The main author Roberto Orosei of the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica in Bologna, Italy, studied an area called Planum Australe, located in the southern ice cap of Mars, from May 2012 to December 2015

A total of 29 sets of radar samplings showed a "very abrupt change in its badociated radar signal", allowing scientists to map the contours of the lake.

"The radar profile of this area is similar to that of the lakes of liquid water found under the ice Antarctic and Greenland. leaves on Earth, suggesting that there is an underglacial lake at this location on Mars, "the report said.

Confirmation needed

" C & # 39; is the first detected expanse of water, so it's very exciting, "David Stillman, senior researcher at the space studies department of the Southwest Research Institute in Texas, told AFP in an email.

However, Stillman, who was not involved in the research, said that another spacecraft, or other instruments, needed to be able to confirm the discovery.

He noted that a higher frequency radar instrument made by the Italian space agency, SHARAD, aboard the March Reconnaissance Orbiter launched in 2005, was unable to detect groundwater.

It's strange that SHARAD can not confirm this discovery because SHARAD can not cross the ice here and no one understands why "

" This suggests that something strange is going on here, so I'm skeptical about this discovery.

But researchers are excited about the potential for future discoveries, because "There is nothing special about this, except that the MARSIS radar on the Mars Express spacecraft is the most sensitive to this. region, which means that there are probably similar water deposits. to be

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