An astronomical expedition has uncovered three lakes buried beneath the ice sheet that encircles Mars' south pole, according to a group of astronomers.
According to a study published roughly two years ago, a lake was discovered beneath the ice sheet that encircles Mars' south pole. According to a recent story, a group of astronomers announced that they had confirmed the existence of this lake and that they had discovered three others in the same area.
The atmospheric pressure on Mars is exceedingly low when compared to the pressure on Earth. Water is unable to maintain its liquid state while under such low pressure. Conditions beneath Mars' surface, on the other hand, may be conducive to the existence of liquid water.
Both the two-year-old discovery and the more recent discoveries are based on data collected by the radar sensor aboard the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express spacecraft, which is currently orbiting the planet Mars. In order to extrapolate information about the surface of the planet and the structures beneath its surface, researchers study the way radar signals received from the satellite and reflected back to the globe are reflected back.
When particles are put into a liquid, the freezing temperature decreases significantly. For example, the freezing point of salt water is lower than the freezing point of pure water. The newly discovered lakes on Mars are considered to be extremely saline, which makes sense given the environment on the planet.
According to reports, the four lakes that have been discovered so far cover a total area of 75,000 square kilometers. The gigantic lake, which was discovered two years ago, has a circumference of approximately 30 kilometers and a diameter of approximately 30 kilometers. Approximately a few kilometers separate each of the newly discovered lakes in their length and width.
At one point in the distant past, it was believed that Mars was a liquid planet with potentially livable life. If the lakes that have been located are from this time period, it is possible that organisms are still present. Given the salinity of the lakes, this is, nevertheless, hard to believe. Because scientific investigations have demonstrated that when the salinity rate of liquid water is twenty times more than that of sea water, it becomes inappropriate for human consumption and consumption becomes impossible.
The discovery, which was made two years ago, was met with skepticism in scientific circles because of its timing. Although the current study did not completely eradicate these concerns, it did assist in alleviating them. Some researchers argue that the region's heat flow is insufficient to enable the presence of a large lake. An unmanned Chinese spacecraft sent into orbit as part of the Tianwen-1 Mission is scheduled to reach orbit around Mars in February 2021 and land a vehicle on the Red Planet in March 2021. Researchers believe that further measurements made by the vehicle's scientific instruments will result in a more complete grasp of the situation.
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