this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2024
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Astronomy
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You're not wrong with your sentiment but i think it's pretty safe to say that if we find life on Mars it's gonna be trapped in ice somehow or deep below the surface. Besides having next to no atmosphere, it also has no magnetosphere which means it takes the full blast from solar radiation. Nothing living on Earth could survive outside on the surface of Mars.
Tardigrades could potentially survive, but they would starve to death.
we have quite a bit of life that thrives just under the surface... within nooks and crannies of dust particles... inside Chernobyl... in ocean volcanic vents...
i think mycelia are the only thing that can live off of just raw rock though (the vanguards of life)
but, spores are pretty small and everywhere...
personally i think we should get over looking for life on mars and seed it with whatever has the best chances...
a deep valley has a thicker atmosphere and more shade from the sun, btw...