Microbiological surprises of extraterrestrial life: reverse panspermia. Terrestrial microorganisms can colonize outer space
Cosmic rays and aggressive environments don’t kill microorganisms; they even maintain an active metabolism that “heals” mutations. This gives rise to the hypothesis of reverse panspermia: terrestrial microorganisms could “conquer” space and become the origin of life on other planets. On the other hand, early life on Earth functioned in conditions so different from modern ones that they could seem almost alien. Studying these systems helps us understand not only where life might exist, but also what it might be like.
Researchers are studying layers of water ice on Mars
Mars appears to be a dry world now, but there are plenty of signs on the planet’s surface that there was once plenty of water, including dry river beds, ancient ocean and lake beds, and valleys carved by water. Significant reserves of water ice have also been discovered on Mars, such as huge polar ice caps, buried glaciers closer to the equator, and near-surface ice permeated by the Martian soil.
The modern landscape on Mars was formed by major floods, and there is still oxygen in the atmosphere
The composition of the rock on Mars indicates volcanic activity, the presence of bodies of water, primitive organisms and a stable environment for the origin of life in the past.