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NASA probe confirmed the presence of liquid water on Mars several million years ago.

Astronomers have found yet another confirmation that the recent (by geological standards) the past, on the surface of the Red Planet had liquid water. That was reported by Space.com, a paper appeared in the academic journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.

The study examined the expertise gathered apparatus Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), in particular, its high resolution camera, HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment). The pictures made with this camera, the geologists found traces of melting permafrost in the Athabasca valleys on Mars.

Traces represent a rectangular area, which cover the surface of the planet in the area. They appeared as a result of multiple cycles of freezing and thawing of permafrost, which continued until recently. Previously, researchers assumed that these traces are the result of volcanic activity. Scientists believe that the permafrost tayala on the Red planet approximately 2-8 million years ago.

This study agrees well with the recent analysis of Martian gullies carried out all the photos, also received the camera HiRISE. Then researchers found that the gullies are the result of flow of surface liquid water on Mars. Analysis of images revealed that the age of some of the channels does not exceed 1.25 million years.

Probe MRO was launched from Cape Canaveral in 2005. In 2008, NASA announced the completion of the basic mission of the probe and the extension of his work. HiRISE Camera on board the apparatus is an electronic camera that has an polumetrovym telescope. Optics of this device allows you to heights of over 300 kilometers on the surface of Mars to consider the objects the size of 30 centimeters.


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