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Atomic oxygen detected on Mars

Unknown 5:49 AM Atomic , detected , Mars , oxygen

<div class="easy-ads"><div class="easy-ads-lite easy-ads-lite-bidvertiser-top" style="display:block;text-align:center;"><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3942681860132668" data-ad-slot="4831328630" data-ad-format="auto"></ins><br/></div><br/></div><br/><div class="post-thumbnail"> <a href="http://kickerdaily.com/atomic-oxygen-detected-on-mars/mars-curiosity/"><img alt="" src="http://kickerdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/MARS-curiosity-600x264.png" title="MARS-curiosity"/></a> <span class="wp-caption-text"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiosity_(rover)">Image from Wikipedia</a></span> </div><br/><aside class="mashsb-container mashsb-main"></aside><ul><li><strong>Using the airplane-turned-telescope of NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) project, atomic oxygen was detected on Mars</strong></li><br/><li><strong>The atomic oxygen on Mars’ atmosphere is not breathable</strong></li><br/><li><strong>The discovery may help uncover more discoveries about Mars’ atmosphere and its ability to sustain life billions of years ago</strong></li><br/></ul><p>Atomic oxygen has been detected in the atmosphere of Mars according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).</p><br/><p>The atoms were discovered in the Martian mesosphere, the upper atmosphere layer of the Red Planet, through NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) telescope.</p><br/><p>Detecting atomic oxygen in the Martian atmosphere has been difficult in the past, the last attempt at observing atomic oxygen in the Martian atmosphere was 40 years ago, according to an article published by <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/10/health/mars-atmosphere-oxygen-nasa/">CNN</a>.</p><br/><p>“Atomic oxygen in the Martian atmosphere is notoriously difficult to measure,” said Pamela Marcum, one of the scientists working in the SOFIA project.</p><br/><p>According to Marcum, researchers needed to get away from the Earth’s own atmosphere to see Mars’s clearly, with the SOFIA plane-turned-telescope flying at an altitude of 37,000 to 45,000 feet.</p><br/><div class="easy-ads"><div class="easy-ads-lite easy-ads-lite-bidvertiser-middle"><br/><br/></div><br/></div><br/><p>“Researchers must be above the majority of Earth’s atmosphere and use highly sensitive instruments, in this case a spectrometer. SOFIA provides both capabilities,” she said.</p><br/><p>However, the Red Planet’s atomic oxygen isn’t breathable. It exists as an individual atoms, unlike the binary pair of O2 that Earth’s atmosphere contains.</p><br/><p>This discovery may attest to the existence of a thick Earth-like atmosphere billions of years ago that could have sustained life and water.</p><br/><p>“What we’re doing is adding a piece to a puzzle about the overall chemistry and physical processes in the Martian atmosphere, in which oxygen is an important player because it’s such a reactive substance,” said Dana Backman, director of SOFIA’s outreach programs. “Oxygen reactions do a lot of the busywork of making ozone, or taking other substances apart,” he said, cited in an article published by <a href="http://www.space.com/32854-mars-atomic-oxygen-sofia-flying-observatory.html">Space.com</a></p><br/><p>According to NASA, the scientists detected only about half the amount of oxygen expected, which may be due to variations in the Martian atmosphere. Through the SOFIA project, the researchers will study these variations to help better understand Mars’ atmosphere and help uncover how the planet’s protective gases eroded billions of years ago.</p><br/><aside class="mashsb-container mashsb-main"></aside><p> This article has been viewed 155 times. </p><center> </center><br/><p><strong><a href="https://blockads.fivefilters.org">Let’s block ads!</a></strong> <a href="https://github.com/fivefilters/block-ads/wiki/There-are-no-acceptable-ads">(Why?)</a></p><br/><p><a href="http://kickerdaily.com/atomic-oxygen-detected-on-mars/" rel="nofollow">Kicker Daily News</a></p><br/><div class="easy-ads"><div class="easy-ads-lite easy-ads-lite-bidvertiser-bottom" style="display:block;text-align:center;"><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3942681860132668" data-ad-slot="4831328630" data-ad-format="auto"></ins><br/></div><br/></div>

Image from Wikipedia Using the airplane-turned-telescope of NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) project, atom...