By Jacob Schwartz
IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?
Introduction
 One of the most asked and researched
questions/topics ever is if there is really life on
Mars. Time and time again, NASA Scientists
have discovered strange types of evidence that
there may be conditions suitable for life on the
Red Planet. The most incredible discoveries
however, have come just in the last 5 years.
Mars Elements
 On Tuesday, March 12 2013, NASA scientists revealed at a press
conference that NASA’s rover, named “Curiosity”, which landed on
Mars in late 2012, had discovered that a rock sample analyzed by the
rover contained sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and
carbon; all essential elements necessary for supporting all life. Earlier
that year, in September, Curiosity also discovered what seemed to be
an ancient streambed which also contained minerals likely to have
been formed in the presence of somewhat fresh water.”A fundamental
question for this mission is whether Mars could have supported a
habitable environment.” said Michael Meyer, lead scientist for
NASA’s Mars Exploration program in the state of Washington.”From
what we know now, the answer is yes”.
Methane On Mars

On December 16th, 2014, Curiosity struck again. Mysterious spikes of
methane were found by Curiosity. Scientists were perplexed as to what
was causing the spikes. but they concluded it was very likely that it
could’ve been very tiny, bacteria-like organisms. Scientists have said that
the rover is now going to re-test and re-test the possibility of life, ahead of
a possible unmanned mission in 2020 that will search for the source of the
Methane. A year before in 2019, The European Space Agency will land its
own 300KG Rover on Mars equipped with a powerful two-meter drill and
more special equipment for investigating any signs of life on the
mysterious planet. Scientists have tossed around other theories about what
caused the spikes, including: that the Sun’s rays reached mars and
degraded organic material left in the past by meteors. Other discussed
theories included volcanic deposits becoming trapped in a thick ice called
clathrates, and were ruled out by the short-timed scale of its spikes.
Another later discovery by the Curiosity Rover was of water lying within
fine-grained soil in a crater named “Gale Crater”, which was formed by a
gargantuan meteor strike almost 3.5 billion years ago.
Water On Mars
 Most recently in September 2015, flowing freshwater was found on
Mars! The existence of liquid water, even if it is super salty briny
water, gives the possibility that if there's life on Mars, that we have a
way to describe how it might survive," said John Grunsfeld, associate
administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA. NASA
researchers, using a imager aboard the MRO confirmed their was
flowing water by looking at waves of light returned by seasonal dark
streaks at the surface, long ago suspected to be associated with liquid
water. It is still unclear to everyone at NASA and in the world where
the water came from. Theories include deliquescence, melting
subsurface ice or even a liquid-water aquifer that feeds the process.
Discovering more about this new discovered water phenomenon is
NASA’s main goal right now said Michael Meyer, lead scientist for
NASA’s Mars exploration program.
Quiz Time!
 1. What is the name of NASA’s rover?
 2. What were the 6 elements found in the Mars rock
sample in late 2012?
 3. What did scientists say could be causing the methane
spikes originally?
 4. What will happen on the unmanned mission to Mars in
2020?
 5. How did NASA Scientists confirm the flowing water on
Mars?
Curiosity!
 Sulfur, Nitrogen, Hydrogen,
Oxygen, Phosphorous and
Carbon.
 Very tiny, bacteria-like
organisms.
 It will search for the source of
the Methane found on Mars!
 An imager aboard the MRO
confirmed their was flowing water
by looking at waves of light
returned by seasonal dark streaks
at the surface, long ago suspected
to be associated with liquid water.