OXYGEN On MARS ? WOW!

OXYGEN On MARS ? WOW!

NASA has detected atomic oxygen in the martian atmosphere for the first time in over 40 years , all thanks to the  Stratospheric Observatory  for Infrared Astronomy(SOFIA). The oxygen atoms were found in the upper martian atmosphere- known as the mesosphere and the discovery could help astronomers  identify how gases escaped from the Red planet years ago.

     However while this is interesting and super  awesome for us all ,(obviously that is humanity’s potential new home lol ) the researchers only found half the oxygen they expected,but this could be attributed to the variations in the atmosphere.’Atomic oxygen  in the martian atmosphere is notoriously difficult to measure’ said  SOFIA project scientist, Pamela Marcum.To observe the  far-infrared wavelengths needed to detect atomic oxygen, researchers must be above the majority of earth’s atmosphere and sue highly sensitive instruments, one as a spectrometer. SOFIA  provides both capabilities.

   Yeah,yeah ,yeah some of you might be wondering what SOFIA is ,well it’s basically an aeroplane with a large 254-cm diameter telescope that can soar above the earths’ atmosphere, and  with such high vintage point it enabled the researchers make their calculations, though the team hasn’t given us exact figures  we will have to wait for further information on the topic