Mars is known as the "star of fire" by ancient Chinese astronomers. Contemporary researchers often refer to it as the red planet.Although dozens of spacecraft have been sent to Mars, there are still many things that puzzle and raises questions about the planet. Here are some interesting mysteries of Mars listened to, along with NASA plans launch bicycle, Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity, over there on 25 November.
1. Why does Mars have two different faces?
The researchers since long wondered why the two sides of the planet Mars has a striking difference? Northern hemisphere of Mars can be said to be flat and low land, even including one of the most flat surfaces, the most refined in the solar system. Conditions were probably formed by water that once flowed on the surface of the suspected red planet.
Meanwhile, in contrast, the southern hemisphere of Mars has a rugged surface, has a crater, and about 4 km to 8 km higher than the northern hemisphere. Recent evidence raises expectations that the difference between north and south sides of Mars was caused by a giant rock from space that hit Mars in the past.
2. Where the origin of methane on Mars?
Methane, the simplest organic molecule, first discovered in the atmosphere of Mars by the Mars Express spacecraft European Space Agency in 2003. On Earth, most methane in the atmosphere produced by living things. Methane is thought to already exist in the Martian atmosphere 300 years ago. That is, whatever the source, where gas is not long.
However, methane gas may also arise out of life, such as from volcanic activity. ESA's ExoMars spacecraft will be launched in 2016 will examine the chemical composition of the Martian atmosphere and studied the presence of methane in there.
3. Where is the sea of Mars?
Many missions to Mars have found evidence that the planet once had conditions warm enough so that water does not freeze and can flow on its surface. Evidence that among other areas such as the former sea, valley networks, river deltas, and trace minerals that are formed as by water.
Even so, Mars climate models can not explain how the warm temperatures that could happen, given the much weaker sunlight first. There are allegations, the above forms are formed not by water but by the wind or other mechanisms. But still there is evidence that Mars was once warm enough to support the existence of liquid water, at least in one place on its surface.
4. Is there water on Mars today?
Although most evidence suggests that water once flowed on the surface of Mars, is still a puzzle whether there is water flowing over the surface of the planet at this time. Atmospheric pressure of Mars is too low, about one-hundredth the pressure on the Earth so hard to be in surface water. But there are dark and narrow path on the slopes of Mars that raises a presumption that there is water that flows each spring.
5. Is there life on Mars?
The first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars, NASA's Viking 1, gave rise to a puzzle that remains mysterious at this time: Is there any evidence of life on Mars? Viking is a vehicle that is specifically assigned to look for life on Mars, and what is found is still being debated to this day. The spacecraft has discovered the existence of organic molecules such as methyl chloride dandichloromethane. However, these compounds could be the contamination of the Earth is getting carried away when the vehicle slid on Earth.
The surface of Mars itself is not hostile to living things in terms of very low temperatures, radiation, dry conditions, and other factors. Even so, there are living creatures that can survive in extreme environments on Earth, such as the Dry Valleys of Antarctica is cold and dry, or very dry region in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
In theory, there is always life, as there is liquid water on Earth. The possibility of the existence of oceans on Mars ever raised the question of whether life ever existed there. If there is, whether today's living creatures still exist? The answer to that question may help shed some light on the question of how common is life in the universe.
6. Is life on Earth came from Mars?
Meteorites found in Antarctica and are from Mars, was thrown from the red planet from collisions of cosmic-rock has a structure similar to that produced microbes on Earth. Although further research showed that the structure was formed due to chemical rather than biological processes, the debate on Mars as the origin of life on Earth continues. Some people still hold the theory that life on Earth came from Mars, and brought to Earth with meteorites.
7. Can humans live on Mars?
To answer whether life ever existed or still exist on Mars, humans may need to go there and look for yourself.
In 1969, NASA had planned manned mission to Mars in 1981 and establish a permanent station there in 1988. But it turned out to interplanetary travel of scientific and technological challenges are not small.
The scientists had to overcome a variety of interplanetary travel problems, such as food, water, oxygen, the effects of micro gravity, the possibility of harmful radiation, and the fact that the astronauts who go there will be millions of miles from Earth so it is not easy to get help if anything happens. In addition, land, work, and life on other planets and then return to Earth was not easy.Even so, many researchers who want to do that mission. This year, six volunteers live in isolation as was in the spacecraft for 520 days in the project, called Mars500. Longest space flight simulation is intended to mimic the journey to Mars.
Many volunteers are willing to fly to Mars even though the possibility can not kembali.Berbagai plan was also created, for example by sending the first rock-eating microbes, before humans were imported. The puzzle about whether humans will ever set foot on Mars is still dependent on the reason, why we should try to explore the red planet
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