Is there life on Mars?
We might yet find traces of life in this region on Mars. | Photo: Nasa / JPL-Caltech / Uarizona
On Mars, just as on Earth, we find landscapes with angular patterns on the planet’s surface. These were probably formed when ancient lakes dried up. Researchers from the University of Bern have been investigating such polygons in England that are roughly one metre in diameter, and have now detected several chemical elements around their salty edges that point to the existence of life. At some point in the future, they want to be able to search polygons like these for traces of life on Mars. To this end they have now developed a mass spectrometer suitable for use in space that’s no bigger than a half-litre bottle.
