The Phoenix Mars Polar Lander is at the north pole of Mars on 25 Mai Country – very soon! Phoenix is designed to look for signs of microbial life, and there is a case where the evidence can be found on Mars.

The first evidence is microfossils in a meteorite in Antarctica in 1997 was intended – this meteorite ALH84001 is estimated at 4.5 billion years Shergottic is still the subject of controversy. There are those who say microstructures signs of contamination biotic his long tenure on Earth, others keep hoping that this is evidence of an association of life on Mars.

Life on Mars has long held a fascination for astronomers – for one, is a bright object in the sky, and two, after the development of the telescope in the 1600s he was the color will be free from any object in the sky. Schiapiarelli from Lowell to Wells, the view was held for life on Mars, the imagination, even if the scientific evidence that life would not mounted as expected.

The case for life on Mars is extended by the action of bacteria on Lunar missions – samples went out and came back and managed to survive the harsh sun radiation belt Van Allen – some plasma and thermal fluctuations in the rate of return through the atmosphere. So life is remarkably robust and can enter a vicious cycle environment of space to survive. Achaeobacteria with the pipe and the life in volcanic vents show that life can survive and thrive wherever a source of energy for the operation, even in the depths of the ocean where the sun is not even a memory.

However, the question of life on Mars a few complications. On the one hand, there is a cold case where there may have life in the past, the conditions of the surface of Mars in the past has altered as 5000000000. There are times in the Martian geology (called areology), where speculation about Mars, a thicker atmosphere than now, with defined, and the decline (and development) levels of surface water. support current climate of Mars can not be liquid water on the surface – the low temperature, and the air pressure is too low if you have a tray of ice cubes on the surface, they evaporate slowly by sublimation, dry ice is in the earth.

What are the causes of climate change on Mars? Plate tectonics, or rather the lack of them. Biosphere of the Earth is in large part by plate tectonics, which caused to be buried carbon (such as lime) by sedimentation. The driving force of plate tectonics is the decay of radioactive elements in Earth’s core.

Venus also shows evidence of the tectonic plates had seem in the past and its tectonic plates stopped due to lack of water in the Earth’s crust have basement – water in the oceans is far from the majority of it on the planet, most of the rest of infiltration in the mantle of the earth, where it acts as a lubricant.

On Mars, by short-range radio surveys by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, we show that the crust of Mars is not as flexible as the earth – not so much as it should be pressed by the mass of the Martian polar caps. This suggests that Mars is tectonically dormant.

Why does tectonic dormancy issue in the case of life on Mars? Tectonic activity is probably the source of energy to drive the Mars microbes exist, and is the only candidate currently known long trickles of liquid water that is necessary for life as we know his.

Phoenix landing on Mars north pole to give us some answers – but even if it finds nothing, there is no reason to give up hope. Mars has an area equal to all dry areas of the earth instead. Phoenix can sample an area comparable to a ring of land around an office cube.

See profile Phoenix other mission is to provide data on Martian weather and weather observation data on the polar winter, and is expected to provide for at least six months with optional extensions for years. (The rovers Spirit and Opportunity are now approaching the fourth anniversary of the start of their 90 day of the survey …)

Phoenix live commentary from NASA begins at 3:30 Pacific Time Clock USA 25, that the profession is preparing for its descent through the Martian atmosphere is about 9:30 on the morning of 26 for

Australia.
Phoenix Office Space