October 1, 2008
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmNo Ruling Out Life
By JR Minkel
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
The Mars Phoenix lander discovered evidence of perchlorate (ClO4) and water ice in Martian soil, NASA researchers announced in August. Perchlorate, a highly reactive chemical that can occur naturally in arid areas such as Chile's Atacama Desert, was detected in two soil samples analyzed by Phoenix's wet-chemistry laboratory. Considered harmful to fetuses, perchlorate provides fuel for some microbes. For that reason, the discovery says little by itself about the possibility of life on Mars, NASA scientists say. Water ice was also identified in chunks of soil vaporized by Phoenix's gas-analyzing instrument. The result confirms 2002 observations by the Mars Odyssey orbiter, which detected ice in the form of subsurface hydrogen atoms at the planet's poles. In light of these successes, the space agency extended the Phoenix mission by five weeks, to September 30.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
