Prospects of finding life in Mars

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Table of Contents

Comparison between Mars and Earth
Research on presence of micro-organisms
No evidence of past life in Mars
Ancient Mars and liquid water
Presence of Methane in Mars
Presence of geysers in Mars
Presence of cosmic rays in Mars
Conclusion
Works Cited

Over the years, human beings have contemplated on the possibility of existence of life in Mars. It is important to question the conventional assumption of the requirement for a planet to have to life (Grinspoon 304).

In the history of mankind, people have told fictional stories about the Martians who had invaded the Earth at one time in history. Others have acted on movies to depict the presence of Martians, the people from Mars.

This has increased peoples’ anxiety of knowing whether there is any form of life on Mars. Scientists have now moved from fantasizing about life on Mars and are now investing through telescoping and planned landings on this planet on the presence of life signals on the existing rocks, soils and its atmosphere.

This essay endeavors to ague by scientific examples that there is no scientific evidence that indicate existence of life on Mars.

Comparison between Mars and Earth

Mars has several similarities to our planet Earth. It is also near the Earth in proximity. Astronomers have found that the length of a typical day in Mars is similar to that of the Earth. Scientists have also proven that Mars has seasons just like there are seasons on Earth.

The only difference is that seasons in Mars are a bit longer compared to those on Earth. The two planets tilt almost at a similar angle, hence these similarities. However, earlier speculations of the existence of water in form of seas and canals were dismissed as illusions of the eyes (Percival 23).

Absence of water therefore indicates that there cannot be any form of life in Mars. All living organisms require water to carry out metabolic activities hence no life can exist without water.

Similarly, theorization of the existence of water in form of seas and existence of land by William Whewell in 1954 did not hold any truth. Scientific analysis of Mars on spectroscopes demonstrated that the planet had neither water nor oxygen. These are elements essential for survival of a living thing.

The report by Mariner four that successfully flew by Mars in 1965 indicated that Mars was arid, did not have any rivers and therefore no life would exist there. The dryness of this planet would therefore desiccate any living organism that would try inhabiting it.

Absence of water was also affirmed by the indication that the atmospheric pressure of Mars is 0.6kPa. This means that no amount water that can exist there in form of liquid. Water is a necessity for any life to exist.

They also pointed out at the absence of magnetic fields whose presence in the globe protects living organisms from deadly rays, for example cosmic type of rays. Liquid water exists on earth because its atmospheric pressure is about 101.34kPa.

We can therefore infer that since multi-cellular organisms require presence of water to support their lives, then they cannot exist in Mars.

Research on presence of micro-organisms

Since earlier reports indicated that no multi-cellular organism could inhabit Mars, scientist turned to investigate whether unicellular organisms like bacteria would exist. The Viking report was set out to investigate Martian soils for any form of life.

However, the report did not give a conclusive testimony. Although the report indicated a likelihood of organisms that emitted carbon IV oxide in one of the samples, many scientists have rejected the idea that this gas was as a result of micro-organisms.

The gas has therefore been associated with chemical reactions of some elements in the soil samples. This further shows that scientists have not found any tangible evidence of the existence of micro-organisms in Mars.

Another report by Phoenix that used a spacecraft in the form of robot indicated that in Mars, soil contained perchlorate element. This element is unfriendly to any form of life. In addition, its potential for hydrogen ions could not support any micro-organism.

No evidence of past life in Mars

Could life have existed in Mars in ancient times? This is a question that many space scientists are still working on. Some reports like that of the Viking orbiters indicated that there were valleys on Mars that could have been as a result of rivers or water erosion (Bianciard 14).

However, scientists maintain that if there was any water, life could have existed and fossils would still remain to show evidence of past life in Mars.

Scientists have also collected about 34 meteorites from Mars. From these, three meteorites are said to have evidence that there was life on Mars in the past. Some microscopic features that resemble the fossils of bacteria have been observed.

However, scientists have drawn varying reports and conclusions after analysis of these meteorites. There is no clear empirical evidence today that indicate the presence bacteria fossils on those meteorites.

Researchers are still working on better methods of analyzing the meteorites for any evidence of life. However, most scientists argue that the three meteorites do not clearly depict presence of any bacteria fossils that would lead to inferences of presence of life in Mars.

Ancient Mars and liquid water

Another area of focus in search for life on Mars is the presence of liquid water in the ancient Mars. In 2004, scientists found a mineral called hematite in Mars. This mineral is said to be formed only when there is presence of water.

Since Mars has very low atmospheric pressure, liquid water cannot exist on the surface. The temperatures are also extremely low for water to exist inform of liquid. This would perhaps explain why scientists have not found liquid water on the surface of Mars.

Without liquid water, it is therefore not possible for any life to exist on the surface of Mars. But is there any likelihood of life existing under the surface of Mars since there has been evidence of the existence of subsurface water? In 2000, subsurface water was found annexed to Mars liquid core. This was in gullies of flood-like form (Heldmann 66).

To counter this evidence, in 2006 similar evidence of gullies was found on the surface of the moon. Since the moon is believed to have never had any liquid water, then a co-relation of the two can only be interpreted as impacts of micrometeorites activities. Therefore, presence of these gullies was not enough evidence to infer presence of water in Mars; it could be the impact of the similar meteorites.

In addition, reports from Mars Global Surveyor of 2006 indicated that water rarely flow on Mars surface. This means that there is no water existed on the surface of Mars.

Presence of Methane in Mars

There have been traces of methane in Mars. Since this gas cannot exist freely in the atmosphere, there must have been some sources necessary to maintain it in high levels. Researchers indicate that these gases were emitted by meteorites that were converted into methane as a result of exposure to ultraviolet rays (Moran 277).

However, there is no evidence of methanogenic micro-organisms in Mars. This therefore indicates that the methane gas found in Mars was not as a result of micro-organisms activities but as a result of meteorites that were exposed to ultraviolet rays.

Presence of geysers in Mars

Frosting occurs in the south parts of Mars in some seasons. As a result, some channels that are spider-like are formed. This later forms geysers that erupt cold fluids. Scientists have associated these geysers with micro-organism that are capable of carrying out photosynthesis. These micro-organisms are said to heat their surrounding ice during this process and dries up when ice melts.

This has been the foundations arguments by Hungarian scientist that there is life in Mars. However, the same scientist accepts that these geological effects and structures can occur even without the presence of life. This has watered down earlier arguments that there are micro-organisms in Mars.

Presence of cosmic rays in Mars

The presence of strong cosmic rays in Mars has also been at the centre of this debate. People have argued that since these rays would only penetrate to not more than seven-and- a half meters depth of the surface, then life is possible beyond this depth.

Cosmic rays are lethal and no life can survive in their presence. They destroy the ribonucleic acid (RNA) and the di-ribonucleic (DNA) acid compositions in any living organism hence killing it. This would therefore mean that there can neither be any form of life on Mars surface nor within its seven-and-a half depth from the surface.

Though this has widely gained acceptance, there is no scientific research that has been carried out to investigate whether there would be living organisms beyond this depth. However, absence of oxygen and water as argued earlier would still affect the survival of any life in that depth.

Conclusion

In conclusion, although many hypothesis, fictions and speculations have been formulated to suggest and justify the presence of life in Mars, there has been no empirical evidence to qualify the allegation. The multiple researches in form of telescopic researches and physical landings have not yet scientifically proven the presence of life on Mars.

Although scientist have tried testing whether life can be supported by Martian environment by growing lichens in a similar environment, no empirical evidence has been found. We can therefore argue through merit that there is no life on Mars (Baldwin 2012).

This can be proven by the fact that there is no oxygen gas in Mars, no liquid water, the atmospheric pressure is not conducive for any life to survive, the temperatures are very low and that there is presence of strong cosmic rays that are lethal to any form of life.

Presence of ancient life in Mars has also been overruled by scientific evidence of lack of fossils that would depict that any form of living organism ever lived there.

Therefore, regardless of the much speculations on the presence of life on Mars, scientific evidences currently shows that there has been no life in Mars and there is no life in Mars today. Prospects of having life in Mars are therefore not likely to yield any positive results in the near future.

Works Cited

Baldwin, Emily. “Lichen survives harsh Mars environment”. Skymania News. 26 April 2012. Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 110, Issue E5. Print.

Bianciard, Giorgio, et al. “Complexity Analysis of the Viking Labeled Release Experiments.” International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences (2012). 13 (1), 14-26. Web.

Grinspoon, David. Lonely planets: The natural philosophy of alien life. New York: ECCO. 2003. Print.

Heldmann, Jennifer et al. “Formation of Martian gullies by the action of liquid water flowing under current Martian environmental conditions.” Journal of Geophysical Research (2005). Web.

Moran, Mark, et al. “Desert methane: Implications for life detection on Mars.” Icarus, Volume 178, Issue 1, 1 November 2005, 277–280. Web.

Percival, Lowell. Mars and its canals. London: Macmillan, 1907. Print.

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