Rare discovery on Mars could finally reveal why the planet died
Mars always had water, but then the planet changed and the water disappeared leaving behind a barren dead world.In what could be one of the biggest findings from Mars, Nasa's Mars Atmosphere Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission has detected an elusive atmospheric escape process called sputtering.It could help answer longstanding questions about the history of water loss on Mars.
Mars is believed to have lost the water after its magnetic field disappeared exposing the planet to the solar wind and solar storms. As the atmosphere began to erode, liquid water was no longer stable on the surface, so much of it escaped to space.advertisementScientists are interested in finding out how its once thick atmosphere got stripped away. They think sputtering was behind it. Sputtering, a phenomenon where energetic particles from the solar wind crash into Mars' upper atmosphere and knock atoms into space, may have played a central role."It's like doing a cannonball in a pool," said Shannon Curry, principal investigator of MAVEN. "The heavy ions are the cannonballs, and they splash neutral atoms and molecules out of the atmosphere."While indirect evidence of sputtering existed — particularly in the uneven distribution of argon isotopes in the Martian atmosphere — this is the first time scientists have observed the process directly.Using a trio of MAVEN instruments, including the Solar Wind Ion Analyzer and Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer, the team collected rare data from both the dayside and nightside of the planet.advertisementThe result: a high-resolution map showing argon being ejected from Mars' atmosphere precisely where solar particles collided with it. This sputtering occurred at a rate four times higher than previously thought, and intensified during solar storms.The discovery, published this week in Science Advances, confirms sputtering as a major mechanism behind the atmospheric erosion that led to Mars' dramatic climate shift.'These results establish sputtering's role in the loss of Mars' atmosphere and in determining the history of water on Mars,' said Curry. The findings could significantly reshape our understanding of Mars' past — and its potential to have once supported life.Trending Reel
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India.com
23 minutes ago
- India.com
Inside ISS: Life At 28,000 km/h In Microgravity With Cosmic Research
The International Space Station (ISS) is a space lab that travels around Earth about 400 kilometers above the surface, moving at a speed of 28,000 kilometers per hour. Its main goal is to help scientists understand how living in space affects our bodies and health. This is important for planning longer space trips in the future. Besides studying how space affects humans, the ISS also helps scientists learn more about the universe. It carries instruments that study powerful space particles, which are tiny bits of matter flying through space at very high speeds. These particles, called cosmic rays, come from the sun and even from outside our solar system. They can be dangerous to astronauts and electronics, so it's important to understand them. The ISS also studies neutron stars, which are the leftover cores of giant stars that exploded in the past. Even though they are small—only about the size of a city—they are extremely dense, meaning they pack a lot of mass into a tiny space. One teaspoon of a neutron star would weigh millions of tons! Learning about them helps scientists understand how stars live and die, and how extreme space environments work. The space station has had astronauts living and working on it non-stop since November 2000. It's a joint project between five major space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), the European Space Agency, Japan's space agency (JAXA), and Canada's space agency As of May 2025, a total of 285 individuals from 23 countries have visited the International Space Station (ISS). This group includes both professional astronauts and private individuals. Among these visitors, 13 were private individuals, often referred to as space tourists, who traveled to the ISS through commercial arrangements. The ISS serves as a unique laboratory where scientists conduct experiments in microgravity, aiming to advance our understanding of space and improve life on Earth. What is the ISS ? 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Deccan Herald
3 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Trump wants $1 billion for private-sector-led Mars exploration
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Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Scientists baffled by unknown space object that emits X-ray and radio waves every 44 minutes
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