Since 2012 when NASA landed the Mars Exploration Rover the whole nation questions whether or not the planet next to us is capable of supporting life. If our planet ever comes to a dooms day or judgement, knowing that there is a life-sustainable planet right next to us can help ease the anxiety created by the fear that the world can come to an end. Based on all the recent articles released by the press it seems as though scientists are hinting us that Mars is habitable.
Personally I enjoy believing that Mars is a planet human can “run to” as a second home when Earth cannot support a total population of eight million people that is increasing at an exponentially rate. Let’s face it the Earth is getting over populated with all of its resources getting depleted and trained to the very bits. One of the sources that allow Earth to be sustainable is the almighty Sun that radiates its solar energy on our planet’s surface, making it possible for primary gases like carbon dioxide and ozone to form and produce a habitable atmosphere. Recently researchers hypothesized that in approximately two billion years the heat radiated from our Sun may make it possible for Mars to become habitable. Years later when the heat emitted from the sun is in a perfect temperature range, enough to boil carbon dioxide (CO2) and produce an atmosphere sustainable to life.
Image of Mars by NASA via Flickr
Another possibility comes from the analysis of the oldest minerals discovered by the Mars Rover show that billions of years ago Mars had liquid water that could lead to liveable planet. For now the temperature on Mars is still too cold for liquid water to be produced and provide support needed for life. If water every formed on Mars there must have been livable mud that existed on the planet. Chances are that if Mars had once had the ability to produce liquid water and sustainable mud then in future years it is possible for our neighbouring planet to do it again.
Below is a question&answer video from Dr. Emily Rice who speaks about whether heat from our Sun make Mars habitable
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSAr3An01Go[/youtube]
Even if these ideas are only possible billion of years later, the hint that researchers been trying to tell us is that Mars will eventually be a habitable planet. The question is whether the history of human race will survive long enough and develop state of the art technology that can transfer a great number of lives to Mars.
Mars in 2050 via Flickr
-Blog post by Tien Vu
