Artist view of The interaction of the solar wind with the atmosphere of Mars. – NASA / GSFC
* Philippe Berry
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As much prevail in the solar wind. There are four billion years, Mars was not a cold and arid planet. It was probably covered with oceans and lakes, and enveloped in an atmosphere. But it was siphoned off by solar winds, NASA announced Thursday, based on the latest measures of Maven probe. Blame it on the disappearance, not completely explained, its protective magnetic field.

“It seems that Mars had an atmosphere thick and warm enough to have liquid water,” said the assistant administrator the agency, John Grunsfeld. According to Bruce Jakosky, director of Maven mission “all conditions for life were present,” there are about 4 billion years.



No shield

The Earth, as Mars is bombarded by the solar wind, a stream of ions and electrons propelled more than 1.6 million km / h. But while we are protected by the Earth’s magnetic field, generated by the convection movements around the metal core, Mars suffered the brunt of the anger of the sun.

The magnetic field of Mars is almost extinct there are 4.2 billion years, probably as a result of cooling. Suddenly, the solar winds carry charged particles of the atmosphere in an inescapable cosmic bleeding. For the Earth, “there are no concerns about having” reassures Nasa.



Bad news for terraforming Mars

Some hoped that carbon dioxide had been trapped below the surface, and could thus be released into a process of “terraforming” to make the planet habitable. “But the atmosphere was blown, she is gone,” says Bruce Jakosky.

Can there be life in the present conditions? NASA thinks that there could be liquid water and more hospitable temperatures below the surface. But Mars is not the only candidate: two moons of Saturn and Jupiter, and Enceladus Europe intrigued scientists. The quest continues.