Mars Orbiter Indicates Mars Was Habitable

[chucktaylor]

The latest research indicates Mars was habitable because of a new mineral found on the planet

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has found an important mineral on the Martian surface that leads researchers to believe the planet once was hospitable to life.

The MRO found carbonates, which is formed in alkaline water when water and carbon dioxide mix with calcium, magnesium or iron. Carbonates can be found on Earth in locations where life survives, which makes it a significant find on the Red Planet.

"It would have been a pretty clement, benign environment for early Martian life," Brown University graduate student Bethany Ehlmann said. "It preserved a record of a particular type of habitat, a neutral to alkaline water environment."

Because carbonates dissolve quickly in low pH solutions, it could have taken longer than expected to find carbonates on the Red Planet. MRO's findings are about the size of a football field and deposits are limited.

[patrice]

1. Hmmmm, Martians? I wonder what their sexual orientation was. nt

[chucktaylor]

3. Who says it would translate into our orientations?

[patrice]

4. Are you saying God didn't make heterosexuality a universal absolute?

:o

[chucktaylor]

6. God can do whatever he want, from my understanding.

[patrice]

7. She sure can . . . whether we understand it or not. nt

[lamp_shade]

2. Thanks for the info... and welcome to DU, Chuck.

[chucktaylor]

5. Thank you. I'll try to stick around.

I have been reading this forum since it began but I always had a yahoo email account so I couldn't sign up. I realize times are very touchy around here. It really reminds me of the Primaries.

[Vogon_Glory]

8. Timing Is Everything

Timing is everything. The Red Planet may once have been quite conducive to life hundreds of millions or billions of years ago (And perhaps to human colonists), but it isn't now.

Darn!

:argh: