Eight sub terrain glaciers found on Mars

Mars Glacier WaterImagine what it would be like to live in the environment of the Mars Rover... Photo: Pixabay.com

Eight glaciers discovered on Mars according to US scientists

US researchers believe they have discovered eight underground glaciers on Mars.

 

Scientists have for a long time known that there is ice on Mars, but the discovery of the eight underground glaciers gives insights into the amount of ice that we are talking about.

The glaciers were discovered by analyzing images and data from Mars Recoinnassance Orbiter (MRO), which was sent to the Red Planet in 2005.

NASA plans to launch the first manned spacecraft to Mars before 2030.

– Astronauts can go for a stroll armed with a bucket and shovel and get all the water they need, says researcher at the University of Arizona, Shane Byrne.

Some of the glaciers discovered are situated only 1 meter below the surface. Others extend to 100 metres below the surface and seem to consist of pure ice.

The NASA probe Phoenix Mars Lander discovered ice when it landed near the north pole of Mars in 2008, but it has not been known how much there is until now.

The probe landed just over 500 kilometers from where NASA’s Viking 2 probe landed in 1976 and dug a 10-15 centimeter deep ditch to see what was below the surface.

Had the Viking 2 been able to dig only 15 centimeters deeper, it would have discovered the ice in 1976, according to NASA.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today