On Monday's most awaited NASA conference, scientists have announced proof that Mars is harboring salt water.
The latest discovery itself doesn't provide any evidence of life on the Red Plant in the past or as of current, but it does give high hopes that the harsh conditions on the planet's surface is conducive to survival of microorganisms.
Scientists have discovered trickles of water, dubbed as "recurring slope lineae" (RSL), that leave dark stains on the surface of the planet that can extend hundreds of meters downhill when temperatures are warmer. Once the temperature drops, they can dry up.
It remains unsure as to where this flow of water originates from, but it can spring from the icy or salty underground layer of water or it may have condensed from the planet's atmosphere, The Guardian reported.
The discovery only proves that "Mars is not the dry, arid planet that we thought of in the past," said NASA Director of Planetary Science Jim Green, in a report from the Associated Press.
The water is believed to be several times saltier than the ocean waters of Earth and there's enough of it to sustain future human explorations.
The water also contains some type of salts, but not the regular table salt. Instead, it is composed of magnesium perchlorate, sodium perchlorate, and magnesium chlorate.
It is the same composition used in melting down snow and ice on Earth's grounds. Thus, the compounds do not freeze even when temperatures drop to their lowest, just like in Mars, which can get as cold as negative 81 degrees Fahrenheit.
The streaks of water could direct space agencies such as NASA to different potential sites that may harbor life on Mars, as well as future landing sites for human space explorations.
Many of the earlier voyages to the Red Planet revealed that the planet has a watery surface. For decades, scientists theorize that the water may have only come from the icy poles of the planet, minerals packed with water, or moisture content of the atmosphere.
However, it was five years ago that researchers discovered the dark streaks flowing down the Martian surface. The streaks disappeared during cold season and appear once again during warmer months, much like how snow melts in spring.
