# NASA Will Announce A Major Mars Discovery On Monday



## Phylyppes (Sep 26, 2015)

NASA is preparing to reveal a “major science finding” regarding Mars on Monday, with the agency planning a special news conference to announce the findings.

The event will take place at 11.30 a.m. EDT (4.30 p.m. BST) on Monday, and you will be able to watch it live on NASA TV, which we have handily embedded below. Reporters will be onsite and asking questions by phone, while the public can get involved via #AskNASA.

What will the announcement be about? Well, you’ll have to wait and see, as NASA won’t be releasing any more information to the public until then.

Taking part in the news conference will be Jim Green, director of planetary science at NASA Headquarters; Michael Meyer, lead scientist for the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters; graduate student Lujendra Ojha of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta; Mary Beth Wilhelm of NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California and the Georgia Institute of Technology; and Alfred McEwen, principal investigator for the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Such events for NASA are not unprecedented, but they do usually herald a major discovery. In July, NASA convened a similar conference to announce the discovery of Kepler-452b, the most Earth-like planet found outside the Solar System to date. While this latest event won’t be announcing life on Mars, its implications could be vital in understanding more about the Red Planet.

So tune in on Monday for a groundbreaking discovery about a world that we think was once rather similar to our own

Credit: IFL Science


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## Highway Nights (Nov 26, 2014)

I wouldn't get your hopes up too much here. The last time this happened, they were quoted as saying it would be "one for the history books", and it turned out to be something most ordinary people wouldn't care about. It's possible it might just be "oh, there's 0.0000009% more argon in the atmosphere than we thought!" 

On the bright side though, could they have found a large quantity of water? I don't think the probe was made to detect life, so I doubt we'll be hearing about that. But I wouldn't be surprised if they made a breakthrough find regarding water.


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## Phylyppes (Sep 26, 2015)

Rebelgoatalliance said:


> I wouldn't get your hopes up too much here. The last time this happened, they were quoted as saying it would be "one for the history books", and it turned out to be something most ordinary people wouldn't care about. It's possible it might just be "oh, there's 0.0000009% more argon in the atmosphere than we thought!"
> 
> On the bright side though, could they have found a large quantity of water? I don't think the probe was made to detect life, so I doubt we'll be hearing about that. But I wouldn't be surprised if they made a breakthrough find regarding water.


The safe bet would be to say they have found the existence of running water. I highly doubt the press release will unveil anything more sensational than that. Definitively confirming the existence of life on another planet would take a lot more resources and tests...


Unless "they" got something on Mars far more advanced that I would know about.


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## Highway Nights (Nov 26, 2014)

Phylyppes said:


> The safe bet would be to say they have found the existence of running water. I highly doubt the press release will unveil anything more sensational than that. Definitively confirming the existence of life on another planet would take a lot more resources and tests...
> 
> 
> Unless "they" got something on Mars far more advanced that I would know about.


I'd personally be excited to hear about that. I've heard about mineral deposits being found that suggests more recent traces of running water, so it would be pretty cool to come face to face with that. Regardless, people often jump on the "OHHHHH DID THEY FIND LIFE" bandwagon whenever any kind of announcement is going to be made by NASA or any other space agency, so I think NASA needs to be careful when they let their PR team pump people up.


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## Phylyppes (Sep 26, 2015)

Rebelgoatalliance said:


> I'd personally be excited to hear about that. I've heard about mineral deposits being found that suggests more recent traces of running water, so it would be pretty cool to come face to face with that. Regardless, people often jump on the "OHHHHH DID THEY FIND LIFE" bandwagon whenever any kind of announcement is going to be made by NASA or any other space agency, so I think NASA needs to be careful when they let their PR team pump people up.


Well, you know. They need to get funding, too. If they have to excite a few people to do so...... *shrug


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## SevSevens (Aug 5, 2015)

they probably found out that mars used to have some gas on it like 10,000,000 and then they're going to say, "so that means there is a .10 percent chance there was life on mars." and then they're going to string us along for the next bullshit story.

at this point I could care less about life on other planets. I'm more interested in what happens after I die.


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## Highway Nights (Nov 26, 2014)

SevSevens said:


> they probably found out that mars used to have some gas on it like 10,000,000 and then they're going to say, "so that means there is a .10 percent chance there was life on mars." and then they're going to string us along for the next bullshit story.
> 
> at this point I could care less about life on other planets. I'm more interested in what happens after I die.


Alright, but that's how science works. It's not instant gratification, it isn't usually some guy stumbling upon the answer in his garage one night, even though that's what gets romanticized. It's generally a slow, laborious, self correcting process. But the payoff can be enormous. Life on other planets is a reasonable hypothesis. It seems to be supported by probability, but you can't call it a fact unless it's supported by evidence. Finding out that Mars had the atmosphere to support life as we know it in the past, as you mentioned, wouldn't be evidence, but it would be a small victory in the search, and you use those small victories as fuel to keep going. 

Life after death isn't really a valid hypothesis, because there is absolutely nothing short of dying that we can do to confirm or refute it. It's a personal belief. It's really more of a philosophical question than a scientific one at this point in time.


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## SevSevens (Aug 5, 2015)

Rebelgoatalliance said:


> Alright, but that's how science works. It's not instant gratification, it isn't usually some guy stumbling upon the answer in his garage one night, even though that's what gets romanticized. It's generally a slow, laborious, self correcting process. But the payoff can be enormous. Life on other planets is a reasonable hypothesis. It seems to be supported by probability, but you can't call it a fact unless it's supported by evidence. Finding out that Mars had the atmosphere to support life as we know it in the past, as you mentioned, wouldn't be evidence, but it would be a small victory in the search, and you use those small victories as fuel to keep going.
> 
> Life after death isn't really a valid hypothesis, because there is absolutely nothing short of dying that we can do to confirm or refute it. It's a personal belief. It's really more of a philosophical question than a scientific one at this point in time.


yeah I know. I'm just sick of this repetitive shit. I know life is a struggle and from the shit comes roses. I know that. Still...I gotta call an ace an ace.


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## Nyanpichu (Jun 5, 2014)

theres more water!!!!


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## Xanthus Primus (Jan 24, 2010)

"We've found a deck of mint condition Pokemon cards. Judging by its make up; the wrapping; the rover can definitely date it back to the year 1998. Now this is a fascinating story but one has to wonder: How did these cards get here? How did it maintain its structural integrity through the harsh terrain, and lastly and most important question; is there a 1st edition holographic Charrizarrd card in the deck?" - A NASA scientist says.

"I think the re-discovery of the holographic card will have great implication in regards to humanity. It will definitely shed light on the nature of children, and their unnecessary excitement over this card."


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## Xanthus Primus (Jan 24, 2010)

Rebelgoatalliance said:


> Alright, but that's how *god* works. It's not instant gratification, it isn't usually some guy stumbling upon the answer in his garage one night, even though that's what gets romanticized. It's generally a slow, laborious, self correcting process. But the payoff can be enormous. Life *in heaven after death* is a reasonable hypothesis. It seems to be supported by probability, but you can't call it a fact unless it's supported by evidence. Finding out that *Jesus died on the cross to save our* life as we know it in the past, as you mentioned, wouldn't be evidence, but it would be a small victory in the search, and you use those small victories as fuel to keep going.



Don't mind me, sir.


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## Razare (Apr 21, 2009)

Water on the red planet: Nasa reveals major discovery – in pictures | Science | The Guardian

they just found some water is all

I think the secret alien bases on Mars are far more interesting.


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## Xanthus Primus (Jan 24, 2010)

Ah, they just need that paycheck. Ok, back to work everyone... nothing to see here.


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## yet another intj (Feb 10, 2013)




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## Hero of Freedom (Nov 23, 2014)




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## Cannon Gray (Nov 20, 2020)

The water they found on Mars could be used for rocket fuel so it can simplify the process of colonization, not much, but still.


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