Is there proven life on Mars?

Answer 1

It has long been speculated that there may be life on Mars, due to the many similarities the planet has with Earth. Mars' polar ice-caps were observed as early as the mid-17th century, and they were first proven to grow and shrink alternately, in the summer and winter of each hemisphere, by William Herschel in the latter part of the 18th century. By the mid-19th century, astronomers knew that Mars had certain other similarities to Earth, for example that the length of a day on Mars was almost the same as a day on Earth. They also knew that its axial tilt was similar to Earth's, which meant it experienced seasons just as Earth does - but of nearly double the length owing to its much longer year. These observations led to the increase in speculation that the darker albedo features were water, and brighter ones were land. It was therefore natural to suppose that Mars may be inhabited by some form of life.

Speculation about life on Mars exploded in the late 19th century, following telescopic observation of apparent canals — which were later found to be optical illusions. In 1854, William Whewell, a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, who popularized the word scientist, theorized that Mars had seas, land and possibly life forms. In 1895, American astronomer Percival Lowell published his book Mars, followed by Mars and its Canals in 1906, proposing that the canals were the work of a long-gone civilization. This idea led British writer H. G. Wells to write The War of the Worlds in 1897, telling of an invasion by aliens from Mars who were fleeing the planet’s desiccation.

Better telescope imagery, and especially the photos taken by the Mariner 4 probe in 1965 showed an arid Mars without rivers, oceans or any signs of life. Intense UV radiation made the planet extremely hostile to life as we know it. Officially the Viking lander's tests for microbes in 1976 were inconclusive, but most scientists hold that their findings can be explained on the basis of chemical reactions alone. Observations made in the late 1990's by the Mars Global Surveyor confirmed the suspicion that Mars, unlike Earth, no longer possessed a substantial global magnetic field, thus allowing potentially life-threatening cosmic radiation to reach the planet's surface. Scientists also speculate that the lack of shielding due to Mars' diminished global magnetic field helped the solar wind blow away much of Mars' atmosphere over the course of several billion years.

Answer 2

Exclusive: NASA Researchers Claim Evidence of Present Life on Mars

Answer 3

OoOOohh I LOVE when people ask about Mars. It gives me a chance to enlighten one more mind. Everything that'll get you started on the right track to finding out about Mars' true past can be found in these few "questions" I "asked." I put them in quotes because I didn't really ask anything.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoViP961e3BpKox57gjPbPXsy6IX?qid=20060619194732AAwm9Mf

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkqLO9JYf5s.vlTjHgBvl2Dsy6IX?qid=20060613011219AAWEkBb

Mars had life. Mars got zapped, Mars no longer has life. Before Mars got zapped, what used to be the 5th planet got zapped and is now the asteroid belt. Mars didn't get zapped as badly, but still got it's northern hemisphere lifted off. After Mars was zapped the Earth was zapped, and now we have polar ice caps and a wobble.

The End.

Answer 4

when we found water on mars, that gave us a clue on thinking that there must be life on mars aswell. if there was, then where did it go? it may have died out, or something may have caused the creatures to die out just like the meteriod caused the dinosaurs to become extinct. so life must have been there because there was water on mars, and because they have found this worm like creature on mars as well, that can be a clue leading to life on mars. we humans should go there ourselves to find out.

Answer 5

Yes I think they have found a worm like creature in mars. You can see that picture if you go to Nasa website it's www.nasa.gov. I have seen it. But I don't think It's accepted by the environmentalists.

Answer 6

Proven? No... and we're still trying to figure out if there is any intelligent life on that other planet... Earth.

Answer 7

Not yet but there is water, so life may not be far behind. We must go there to find out.

Answer 8

no but NASAis still trying on it .i think the red soil of mars has attracted the scientists of NASA (america)

Answer 9

If there is no one is sharing the proof.

Answer 10

may be AS TECHNOLOGY IS GOING IT WILL BE POSSIBLE AFTER 5 OR 6 DECADE