tian447 Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Nasa's ageing Opportunity rover on Mars has just made what may be one of its most significant discoveries to date. The nine-year-old robot has identified rock laden with what scientists believe to be clay minerals. Their presence is an indication that the rock, dubbed Esperance, has been altered at some point in the past through prolonged contact with water. Opportunity has seen a clay-bearing outcrop before but scientists say this is by far the best example to date. "It's very rich," said Steve Squyres, the rover's principal investigator. "We've been discovering evidence for water on Mars since we first landed back in 2004. What's different here? "If you look at all of the water-related discoveries that have been made by Opportunity, the vast majority of them point to water that was a very low pH - it was acid. "We run around talking about water on Mars. In fact, what Opportunity has mostly discovered, or found evidence for, was sulphuric acid. "Clay minerals only tend to form at a more neutral pH. This is water you could drink. This is water that was much more favourable for things like pre-biotic chemistry - the kind of chemistry that could lead to the origin of life." http://www.bbc.co.uk...onment-22832673 Very interesting. It's a shame that countries are more bothered about saving money than exploring. Mars is within reach, but it doesn't seem to be taken as seriously as it could. Sure the Russians want a man on Mars by 2020 but that's still quite a long time away. How long before they find something that shows there was definitely something on Mars a long time ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Better call Saul Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk...onment-22832673 Very interesting. It's a shame that countries are more bothered about saving money than exploring. Mars is within reach, but it doesn't seem to be taken as seriously as it could. Sure the Russians want a man on Mars by 2020 but that's still quite a long time away. How long before they find something that shows there was definitely something on Mars a long time ago? Total waste of time until we can travel at warp speed ! I kinda hoped they would have found something by now ! And if they do find there was water there ...big deal there ain't much happening now ! We've missed the bus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gasman Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Interesting, but in a back to front sort of a way. I'd never realised that all the previous discoveries actually related to Sulphuric Acid, rather than water.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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