Fancy a swim on Mars?

[Rum]

There's a lake there is seems. Fancy a dip?
________________

Researchers have found evidence of an existing body of liquid water on Mars.

What they believe to be a lake sits under the planet's south polar ice cap, and is about 20km (12 miles) across.

Previous research found possible signs of intermittent liquid water flowing on the martian surface, but this is the first sign of a persistent body of water on the planet in the present day.

Lake beds like those explored by Nasa's Curiosity rover show water was present on the surface of Mars in the past.

However, the planet's climate has since cooled due to its thin atmosphere, leaving most of its water locked up in ice.

The result is exciting because scientists have long searched for signs of present-day liquid water on Mars, but these have come up empty or yielded ambiguous findings. It will also interest those studying the possibilities for life beyond Earth - though it does not yet raise the stakes in the search for biology.

The discovery was made using Marsis, a radar instrument on board the European Space Agency's (Esa) Mars Express orbiter.

More at the link:


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44952710

[Svartalf]

Yay Science now, that water is far too salty to serve as drinking water for future explorers

[Sean Hayden]

....meanwhile we haven't even begun to explore our own oceans!

























pretty cool

[Jason]

...and we have yet to install desalinization facilities on the coasts of countries suffering from critical freshwater shortages.

But who cares about Iran?

[laklak]

Iranians, evidently. But not Good 'Murikans! We HATES them! Nasty tricksy Iran! Death to Iran! Death to Iran! Death to Iran! We KEEEEEEEL you!

[pErvinalia]

I approve of this discovery. Water and alien biology are the only NASA/ESA announcements I approve of.

[JimC]

I approve of this discovery.

NASA has just heaved a huge collective sigh of relief...

[pErvinalia]

[laklak]

Meh, water. Now, if it was an ocean of Balvenie 21 Port Wood Cask I'd be impressed, but water's all over the fucking place. Hell, I piss the stuff.

[rainbow]

The water's temperature and chemistry could also pose a problem for any potential martian organisms.

In order to remain liquid in such cold conditions (the research team estimate between -10 and -30 Celsius where it meets the ice above), the water likely has a great many salts dissolved in it.

"It's plausible that the water may be an extremely cold, concentrated brine, which would be pretty challenging for life," explained Dr Claire Cousins, an astrobiologist from the University of St Andrews, UK.

Nothing that the Creator of the Universe couldn't overcome.

[laklak]

Concentrated brine? Sea Monkeys.