Interesting! Any thoughts on this one?:
NASA’s robotic space rover has made a shocking discovery on Mars which,
while puzzling to researchers so far, may be key to understanding the
unique environment of the Red Planet.
The InSight space rover designated to study Mars has discovered strange
magnetic pulsations on the surface of the planet at midnight. The bizarre
bursts of magnetic energy were detected by the magnetometer attached to the
cutting-edge spacecraft, reports National Geographic.
Since last November, the InSight capsule has gathered information about the
planet’s evolution and make-up, as well as recording its tremendous
“Marsquakes,” measuring its upper crust’s temperature, and gauging the
planet’s magnetic field.
But at a joint meeting of the American Astronomical Society and European
Planetary Science Congress (EPSC), it was revealed that not only were there
these strange pulses that “jiggled” the magnetic field, but the crust of
Mars is also far more magnetic than researchers had expected.
The lander’s data also revealed that about 62 miles below the planet’s
surface lies a 2.5-mile-thick layer of some electrically conductive
substance. While scientists are less than certain, some are speculating
that the layer could potentially be a massive body of water, either
consisting of dissolved solids, or water and ice—and it may even be
possible that the layer stretches across the entire planet.
Dave Brain, an atmospheric and space physics scientist at the University of
Colorado who is familiar with InSight’s data, noted that because the rover
can only dig as deep as 16 feet below the surface, it remains to be proven
whether or not such vast water reserves exist. In the future, however,
scientists will hopefully find other ways to find out what is causing the
signals from the potential watery layer.
What also makes the discovery especially enticing for space scientists is
the fact that Mars, unlike our planet Earth, suffered a collapse in its
global magnetic field roughly four billion years. Lacking that crucial
shield to defend itself from the sun’s solar winds, the planet was stripped
of its atmosphere and became what it is now: a cold desert with bone-dry
water reservoirs that’s incapable of supporting life.
However, InSight has been able to measure strong magnetic signals from the
rocks lying near it which are both more stable and up to 20 times stronger
than what had been predicted based on past measurements taken from orbit.
The scientists involved with the work haven’t yet identified whether these
rocks lie deep underground or are closer to the surface—an important
distinction to make, because if the rocks are younger and near the surface,
this would mean that Mars’s magnetic field lasted far longer than
scientists currently believe.
While the data hasn’t yet undergone a peer review, the information gained
in less than a year before the InSight robot landed on Mars has been
stunning.
Paul Byrne, a planetary geologist at North Carolina State University who
wasn’t involved with the NASA probe’s work, commented:
“We’re getting an insight into Mars’s magnetic history in a way we’ve never
had before.”