Long time ago, we believe Mars had the conditions for life to be possible. Nowadays, it’s the complete opposite. NASA is helping us learn more, thanks to it’s robotic explorers on Mars.
Using instruments on the curiosity rover, researchers measured the composition of carbon-rich minerals to gather insights.
According to David Burtt at the Goddard Space Center, “The isotope values of these carbonates point toward extreme amounts of evaporation, suggesting that these carbonates likely formed in a climate that could only support transient liquid water.” He goes on to say that the samples are not consistent with an ancient mars with life. However, it doesn’t rule out the possibility of an underground biosphere or surface biosphere before the carbonates formed.
If you didn’t know, Isotopes are versions of a element with different masses. When water evaporates, light versions of carbon and oxygen were more likely to escape into the atmosphere. The heavier versions were left behind, showing up in carbonate rocks.
What does this all mean? It means that a long time ago, Mars could have had some form on life on it. Things eventually changed, and it became what we know today. Back then, it most likely had water on the surface. Today, Mars is mostly a rock and dusty planet.
