Boron detected on Mars, hints about ancient habitability

Many eminent scientists and researchers are continuously trying to figure out the mystery of the red planet, the Mars. Well, through their researches it is revealed that the Red Planet is full of amazement and surprises. The scientists are trying to study the Mars from every angle and in every aspect and have discovered many mind-blowing facts about it starting from presence of water to the possibility of life and habitat. Also, many UFO hunters and researchers have got substantial evidence about the existence of aliens on Mars.

And in an astonishing discovery, Scientists have currently found traces of Boron on Mars which again strengthens the fact that the red planet was habitable in ancient history. Rna( ribonucleic acid )is there in every modern life, but scientists for many years have hypothetically formulated the theory of presence of ‘RNA World’ where first proto-life was made up of individual RNA strands that could possess genetic information as well as able copy itself. We know that ribose sugar is a key ingredient of RNA. But sugars quickly dissolve in water so what Boron does is it stabilizes the ribose sugar to make the RNA.

Patrick Gasda, a postdoctoral researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the US, said that when Boron dissolves in water, it becomes borate and these borates are considered to be the main architectures of RNA making. So, finding boron on Mars widens the possibility that life was once there on the red planet and it was habitable. Gasda added that they discovered borates inside a crater on Mars which is said to be 3.8 billion years old and hence younger than the likely formation of life on earth.

The boron that was discovered on Mars was found in calcium sulfate mineral veins which indicate that boron was there inside Mars’s ground water and hence signifies that some ground water present in Gale Cater was habitable which ranged from 0-60 degrees Celsius and had neutral-to alkaline pH. The presence of boron was detected by the rover’s laser-shooting ChemCam (Chemistry and Camera) instrument, which was created at Los Alamos National Laboratory in partnership with the French space agency. The discovery of boron provided more information about the composition of the Martian rocks.

Curiosity is providing many details about the chemical evidence of how wet underground environments and ancient lakes transformed in ancient times and provided conditions suitable for microbial life. Researchers say that although they have discovered boron, the possibility of life on Mars is still a mystery as they have not got any substantial evidence yet.

About the author

Mary Woods

Mary nurses a deep passion for any kind of technical or technological happenings all around the globe. She is currently putting up in Miami. Internet is her forte and writing articles on the net for modern day technological wonders are her only hobby. You can find her at mary@pc-tablet.com.

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