Astroblog: Liquid Water on Mars!!!!????

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Liquid Water on Mars!!!!????

Pop over to New Scientist for their hot news item on what appears to be evidence of liquid water on Mars in the last 5 years! Then go to the Bad Astronomer for his take on this. And finally, go to the original press release. This is very exciting, but still not definitive evidence for contemporary water on Mars.

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 7:30 am

Comments:

There has been compelling evidence of liquid water on Mars for many years now - flowing down crater walls and hills...some even pooling, from the raw MALIN/NASA images. They have also shown some sort of "trees" as well. Simliar to our own banyan trees in the deserts of Earth. Sir Arthur C. Clarke has even commented on them.

How aggravating it is to encounter individuals who still maintain a hard grasp on old and antiquainted teachings about Mars...being a cold, dry and dead world. News like this shakes them up and makes them re-evaluate. Not a comfortable place to be. I guess until they can take a cool refreshing Martian drink, they will always be skeptical. Too bad.

I'm glad that NASA has finally announced the news of flowing water on Mars, and it's just a matter of time - of evidence from biological fingerprints. There is already an increase in methane in the atmosphere...could it be Martian critters?

Just a matter of time.

Respectfully,

Chicago Astronomer Joe
Administrator
www.chicagoastronomer.com

Telescope/Observatory Operator
Adler Planetarium

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