Was Mars once more habitable than Earth today?

(NLDO) - Both Earth and Mars may have been stripped of many essential elements for life by space attackers.

A new study of magmatic iron meteorites has shed light on the truth about the planetary building blocks that made up early Earth and Mars, which has direct implications for the ability of both worlds to harbor life.

The famous iron meteorite Bendegon is the remnant of the metallic core of a "planetary building block", similar to what once made up Earth and Mars - Photo: Jorge Andrade

According to Sci-News, moderately volatile elements (MVEs) like copper and zinc play an important role in planetary chemistry, often accompanying life-essential elements like water, carbon, and nitrogen.

Earth is teeming with life. Mars has also revealed ample evidence that life at least once existed.

Yet both planets have far fewer MVEs than chondrite meteorites, which are thought to hold the primordial elements of the solar system, including the seeds of life.

New research led by Dr. Damanveer Grewal from Arizona State University (USA) analyzed magmatic iron meteorites, which are the remnants of the metallic cores of "small planets", considered the building blocks of early planets in the Solar System.

They found clear evidence that these clumps were once surprisingly rich in MVEs, meaning they were richer in elements essential for life than Earth is today.

This suggests that the violent process that created these planetary building blocks did not destroy MVE as originally predicted.

Instead, the young planets themselves gradually lost them during their development, through cosmic collisions during the wild times of the Solar System.

So it can be said that Mars and Earth started their lives with more of the essential elements for life than Earth does today. Moreover, they were both born in the "habitable zone" of their parent star, the Sun.

Unfortunately, a series of unfortunate processes have turned Mars into the barren world it is today. However, the new discovery adds a little hope to NASA's belief: Finding evidence of life on the red planet, at least in the past.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/bang-chung-soc-sao-hoa-tung-de-song-hon-trai-dat-ngay-nay-19625020910072341.htm