Scientists have made an incredible discovery about the probability of life on Mars

Scientists have discovered places on Earth where conditions for microorganisms resemble those on Mars. This discovery provides new perspectives for studying the possibility of life on the Red Planet.

Research published on Phys.org shows that life on Mars should probably be sought not on its surface but in the deeper layers of the planet. Recently, NASA's Curiosity rover recorded methane levels in the Mars atmosphere that were several times higher than normal. But a few months later, it disappeared and reappeared almost a year later. This opened up new possibilities for the hypothesis of the existence of life on Mars, in particular due to seasonal changes in methane levels in the atmosphere. This is reported by TSN.

Scientists have long believed that in the past Mars had a dense atmosphere and oceans with liquid water, but now it is a desert where life seems to be impossible. However, there are organisms on Earth that could survive in conditions similar to those on Mars.

These are methanogens - single-celled organisms that produce methane as a product of their life, using hydrogen for energy. Such microorganisms can exist in the most dangerous places on Earth, and they are likely to be the cause of seasonal methane fluctuations on Mars.

Researchers have identified three environments on Earth that are similar to Martian conditions: deep in the Earth's crust, where liquid water seeps through microscopic cracks; lakes under the Antarctic ice sheet that do not freeze due to the enormous pressure of the ice; and ultra-saline pools at great ocean depths. All of these environments have analogs on Mars, where liquid water is likely to be stored deep in the crust and there may also be subglacial lakes under the Martian polar caps.

After comparing the conditions on Earth and Mars, scientists have determined that the most promising place to search for life on the Red Planet is the Acidalia Planitia plain at the north pole of Mars or its interior. However, scientists still need to decide how to reach this place.

It is also interesting that water could have existed on Mars even earlier than previously thought. The study of the oldest Martian meteorite has provided scientists with new evidence of liquid water on the planet in ancient times, which may indicate the possibility of life in the past.

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