Today NASA and the University of Arizona published an article in Science about their new findings from the Martian Reconnaissance Orbiter. These streaks in the image are on the southern hemisphere of Mars and supposedly left by flowing water.
The greatest evidence is that they disappear in the winter and reappear in summer, as one would expect with temperature fluctuations. They have an official announcement tonight, apparently to include fantastic images of the streaks changing with the seasons.
Why is this important? The proven presence of flowing water would hugely increase the chances of life on Mars. Though even if life was found, I'd be far from impressed.
I mean, unless it's radically different then it's probably from Earth. Bacteria could easily be exchanged between the two planets from celestial collisions. It'd be interesting, but only ground breaking if two separate abiogenesises occurred in the same Solar System.
Here's hoping for life on Titan.
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