While looking up at the night sky and all the stars and planets in the vast expanse of space around us, have you ever wondered whether life exists outside this little Blue Planet we call our home? How life started here in the first place, and what the future looks like for us humans? We can say that Mars is our stepping stone to finding the answers to these questions!
Of all the planets in our solar system, Mars is perhaps the closest the Earth has in terms of surface conditions. Scientists say that Mars once used to have a thicker atmosphere, and even a warmer, wetter climate. But something happened that caused a huge change in its climate, and we would like to know why. Learning more about Mars will tell us something newer about the Earth’s past – how the planet was shaped, and maybe even how life evolved on the Earth.
This brings us to the question that concerns our future. Can another planet sustain life? Our first clue to answering it lies in understanding the history of water on Mars, because life as we know it needs water. Even though the Mars we see today appears dry, barren and cold, we have also found evidence of water on it. Through further explorations and studies we hope to discover more about this strange Red Planet, and through it, about ourselves too!
Picture Credit : Google
