The chances of anything coming from Mars have taken a
downward turn with the finding that the surface of the red planet contains a
“toxic cocktail” of chemicals that can wipe out living organisms.
Experiments with compounds found in the Martian soil show that
they are turned into potent bactericides by the ultraviolet light that bathes
the planet, effectively sterilising the upper layers of the dusty landscape.
The discovery has wide-ranging implications for the hunt for
alien life on the fourth rock from the sun and suggests that missions will have
to dig deep underground to find past or present life if it lurks there. The
most hospitable environment may lie two or three metres beneath the surface
where the soil and any organisms are shielded from intense radiation. “At those
depths, it’s possible Martian life may survive,” said Jennifer Wadsworth, a
postgraduate astrobiologist at Edinburgh University.
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Iheyi Richard is a Computer Engineer, a Technologist and a Blogger. Graduated with several degrees in Engineering and Engineering technology.
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