Liquid water found on Mars

[BrainGlutton]

Story here.

Water has been discovered in the fine-grained soil on the surface of Mars, which could be a useful resource for future human missions to the red planet, according to measurements made by NASA’s Curiosity rover.

Each cubic foot of Martian soil contains around two pints of liquid water, though the molecules are not freely accessible, but rather bound to other minerals in the soil.

<snip>

“We tend to think of Mars as this dry place – to find water fairly easy to get out of the soil at the surface was exciting to me,” said Laurie Leshin, dean of science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and lead author on the Science paper which confirmed the existence of water in the soil. “If you took about a cubic foot of the dirt and heated it up, you’d get a couple of pints of water out of that – a couple of water bottles’ worth that you would take to the gym.”

:rolleyes: You’re looking in the wrong place, guys! Send Rover to the canals!

[Count_Blucher]

“Houston, we confirm transmission receipt from Gondola I…”

[CalMeacham]

Sounds more like water of hydration, rather than what I’d call “liquid water”. Still, it’s accessible, and that’s something.

[BrainGlutton]

At any rate, it means Martians really do have something to worship!

[CalMeacham]

@BrainGlutton

At any rate, it means Martians really do have something to worship!

…or something to fear:

Amazon.com: Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars (DVD) : Tennant, David, Lindsay...

The Waters of Mars

[clairobscur]

On the other hand, they have determined that methane is extremely rare on Mars, which doesn’t bode well for the existence of any life, apparently.