This post is in response to an article from Astrobiology Magazine.

NASA recently gave a press release finding that the materials on the surface of Mars are actually contain a small percentage of water. The soil was analyzed by the Curiosity rover which is located on Mars surface. Around 2% of the soil that is found on Mars surface is actually made up of water, and released carbon dioxide, oxygen and sulfur compounds when the sample began to be heated. According to prominent researchers, this will greatly contribute to the current understanding of the surface of mars and its processes.

The Curiosity Rover on Mars

So, what does this change? Will our perspective on Mars, and on the universe, forever be changed? Anyway you look at it, this is a great discovery. It shows that water is not only found on Earth, but could possibly be located on any planet. So, where did the water come from? Did the water come from comets, like what happened with Earth? Could life possible have existed, knowing that one of the most necessary ingredients is located, in part, on the surface?

What Mars could have looked like in the past

I’m curious to see what comes from this. The surface of a planet can tell a lot about it’s history. Maybe we can learn how to harness the water if humanity ever wanted to establish colonies there. With water remaining on the surface, perhaps technology could be created to take it to be usable for human life. Maybe this will further encourage space travel and exploration, knowing water could exist on the surface of other planets.

Image Sources:

http://www.astrobio.net/pressrelease/5712/curiosity-finds-martian-soil-contains-water

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/AncientMars.jpg