New Study Shows Lake on Mars Held Salty, Mineral-Filled Water

A new study has revealed that Mars' Gale Crater, home to NASA's Curiosity Rover, once held salty, mineral-filled water. While the Martian lake dried up long ago, scientist have seemingly confirmed that the water that filled the lake was not only mineral-filled, but was also at a comfortable pH level. While the study published in Nature Communications might not sound like much, this discovery continues to support the popular hypothesis that life previously existed on Mars. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-sci-fi-movies&captions=true"] The Curiosity Rover has been exploring the Gale Crater for some time now and has provided a wealth of information to NASA scientists. While life on Mars is far from confirmed, this discovery certainly continues to give life to this theory. In 2017, scientists were able to confirm signs of liquid water on the Red Planet. However, due to the cold atmosphere and freezing temperatures of Mars, the planet can no longer support permanent or significant amounts of liquid for long periods of time. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/07/25/did-scientists-find-liquid-water-on-mars"] Thanks to the MAVEN satellite, which orbits Mars, scientists also believe that the Red Planet once had a warm, wet, and hospitable atmosphere. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case due to a powerful solar wind which transformed Mars' atmosphere to a cold and potentially unhabitable one. While NASA scientists still have a lot to learn about Mars, they are hopeful that this discovery will continue to be a step forward. In July 2020, NASA is planning to launch a new Mars rover which will be able to "core samples of Martian rocks and soil," and will hopefully lead to new discoveries. Until scientists can learn more about Mars, we will have to rely on films like The Martian to propel our curiosity about the Red Planet. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Andrew Smith is a freelance contirbutor with IGN. Follow him on Twtiter @_andrewtsmith.