Existence of Life on Mars
The existence of life in different environments constitutes the availability of water and favorable climatic conditions. Planet Mars consists of polar ice caps that contain water, thus proving the existence of water at a particular period. The planet has a thin atmosphere that allows radiation from the sun to penetrate, therefore rendering it dry. Previous studies indicate canyons formed by flowing water on the earth, thus revealing the possibility of the existence of life (Horneck et al. 2012). The discovery of a meteorite from Mars indicates a possibility of the existence of life at a particular time. The Martian rock contains structures resembling fossil remains of bacteria, and follow-up tests reveal the presence of organic material.
The greenhouse effect results naturally, as well as through human activities. It results in the warming of the surface of the earth caused by the presence of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other harmful gases in the atmosphere. Human activities through the industrial revolution activate the greenhouse effect by releasing toxic gases in the atmosphere, raising the temperatures. Increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere cause global warming resulting in climate change, thus affecting the survival of living organisms (Rotmans, 2012).
The mild greenhouse effect could be a means of achieving stability and making the planet habitable though it will not be sustainable. Global warming melts ice caps and raises temperatures. Planet Mars has low temperatures; hence, global warming would increase the temperatures while melting the ice caps. This process is not sustainable as the effects will catapult and deteriorate the situation over time. Global warming will render such a place completely dry, causing irreversible changes.
Transit photometry is a method that detects planets by measuring the dimming of a star as a planet passes between it and the earth. Dimming of the star at regular intervals and for fixed period denotes a planet orbiting. This technique is reliable since photometry allows estimation of the size of the host star from its spectrum and the orbiting planet (Van et al. 2015). This method integrates Kepler’s third law, which states that the size of a planet’s orbit is related to the sidereal period of the orbit. This theory applies the same principle to estimate the size of the planet.
Mars experiences all the four seasons like earth though they differ in length. Spring is the most extended season followed by summer, fall, and winter, with summers being very cold. Significant fluctuations in temperature between hemispheres result in dust storms. These seasons differentiate using distinct weather phenomena such as cloud cover and dust storms. Mars is a cold and dry desert consisting of a thin atmosphere, unable to stabilize liquid water on its surface (Davila et al. 2016). The planet probably lacks a magnetic field to protect it from the solar wind