• Question: was any bacteria found in mars?

    Asked by magnet360 to Ed, Sam, Steve on 23 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by erin10.
    • Photo: Ed Morrison

      Ed Morrison answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      Not yet I don’t think. But scientists are still looking. I don’t think they are looking for bacteria that are still alive, but for fossil bacteria that used to be alive millions of years ago.

    • Photo: Steven Daly

      Steven Daly answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      No, there has been no evidence of any life found on Mars yet. People did once think they had found a fossilized bacterium in a rock from Mars found in Antartica, but it is now believe this actually was probably from Earth.

    • Photo: Sam Tazzyman

      Sam Tazzyman answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      If there are bacteria on Mars they will be buried 10m or more below the ice at the north or south pole of the planet. If they were closer to the surface they would be killed by radiation, because Mars has no atmosphere (unlike Earth).

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