NASA's 'Solved Mystery' On Mars Could Be The Discovery Of Liquid Water

Everyone Stay Calm, NASA Says It Has Solved A Massive 'Mars Mystery'
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NASA are set to announce a major science finding at a press conference later today.

While the space agency has remained tight-lipped about what they plan to reveal, speculation around whether scientists have found liquified water on the red planet has now been seeping through the rumour mill.

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And the excitement is not entirely unfounded.

Two of the panellists at today's press conference have pioneered research on the possibility of liquid water existing on Mars.

Both Lujendra Ojha and Alfred McEwen published a paper discussing evidence supporting the "activity of briny water" on the red planet.

"If they’re announcing that they’ve found easily accessible, freely flowing liquid water under the surface — which is one of the theories we’ve been hearing for years and years — that has massive implications both for the potential for life on that planet and sustainability of humans,” Doug McCuistion, former head of NASA’s Mars program told the Boston Herald.

“If they do confirm this is water that’s seasonally flowing ... that would be an amazing discovery with dramatic implications,” he added.

If researchers have found water in its liquid form on Mars, the implications for the existence of alien life will be significant.

One of the most important factors about water existing in its liquid form on Mars is the suggestion that there is enough heat to keep the water from freezing.

Chris Carberry, executive director of a US-based non-profit, Explore Mars, went one step further and told the Boston Herald the existence of liquid water could in theory, mean the existence of alien life.

“It implies that there is some sort of heat source keeping the water liquefied and here on Earth, whenever you have heat and water, 100 percent of the time you have life.

"We have no idea if that holds true on Mars, we don’t know if there is life on Mars or if there ever has been — but it would certainly be another piece of evidence.”

In December, Mars Rover found evidence for methane gas on the red planet -- a sign, researchers said, that alien life could exist.

Some scientists, including Dr Chris Webster, argued the gas originated from microbial bugs known as methanogens, a known source for methane gas.

Today's press conference will take place today at 11:30am ET (3:30pm GMT) and it could help to bolster the argument for whether alien life exists on Mars.