Playing is Learning
Discoveries by NASA’s Curiosity Rover
October 17th, 2016
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Welcome to the World of PROFESsee™by seeCOSM™ PROFESsee™ is my title. I am the perpetual learner, in pursuit of knowledge, wisdom and truth. I derived my name from professor |
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NASA is having a ball; their Mars project is going according to plan and the Curiosity Rover is adding its bit to the party albeit at a $2.5 billion cost. The mini SUV-sized robot began its mission in 2011 and till today traverses the Martian landscape to give humans insight into what life is and was on the Red Planet. Its journey has provided scientist with a lot to ponder and of course raised the hopes of some businessmen who see Mars as a goldmine (there are talks of setting up a colony already). So what’s making scientist and businessmen giddy? Okay, how do I paint this picture? Curiosity has found elements – carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, phosphorous and oxygen – by analyzing rock formations on the Martian plains. These elements are known as ingredients necessary for life. This, coupled with organic carbon found in the rocks – after Curiosity analyzed powdered rock samples – suggests raw materials for life creation had existed long ago on the planet. This doesn’t, however, say there was life now or then as it were. The discovery of methane on the planet has also been significant, and the sudden spikes over a two month period in atmospheric methane levels late 2014 are not fully explained yet. However, methane’s discovery is the biggest hint yet of life as methane can be produced by living organisms. That said, the evidence isn’t conclusive as there are other ways for methane production such as chemical reactions between rocks and water. As Dr. Paul Mahaffy at NASA puts it, “At the moment we can’t really tell anything, but these burps are intriguing. We have to keep an open mind.” Other discoveries include the rover experiencing radiation levels that exceed the stipulated maximum for astronauts. This means future manned missions will need extra protective gears. In fact, data from Curiosity will play a key role in designing safe Mars missions for humans. There’s also been evidence of an ancient streambed. Rocks found by curiosity have smooth-rounded structures that seem as if they traveled downstream by flowing water about knee-deep. These rocks were found to be exposed bedrock made of tinier particles joined together. The atmosphere on Mars presently is also much leaner than what was experienced in the past. The party is not yet over, and if there’s anything to expect from a party this grand, anything is still possible. Can you Identify the discoveries? Image courtesy of: http://mars.nasa.gov/ |
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