NASA will make a big announcement today that it has solved a “mystery” concerning Mars, sparking rumors that it may settle the debate on whether there is life on the planet once and for all.
NASA will hold a press conference at 11.30 a.m. ET today at the James Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The presence of three scientists at the conference—Lujendra Ojha, Mary Beth Wilhelm, and Alfred McEwen— is of particular significance, as they are behind a just-released paper highlighting the existence of flowing water on Mars. Inside, it proposes that dark streaks observed on the surface of Mars are due to the activity of briny water.
The paper is due to be delivered at this week’s European Planetary Science Congress.
If NASA confirms this, it will be one giant step to answering the age-old of question of whether there’s life on Mars and whether we could one day make it our new giant home, a riddle that has prompted ambitious explorations from the likes of Tesla (TSLA) and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, and billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson.
Of course, that hasn’t stopped people from speculating on other reasons for the press conference:
It looks like pictures of the big @NASA announcement have leaked early. #NASA#Marspic.twitter.com/5LLAkzNdP1
— 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘 𝙴𝚡𝚎𝚌 (@studioexec1) September 28, 2015
Prediction:
3:30 PM: Nasa announces liquid water on Mars.
3:32 PM: Starbucks announces first Martian franchise http://t.co/JM3J9V2O6T— Dean Burnett (@[email protected]) (@garwboy) September 28, 2015
@NASA is making an announcement on Monday! Answering a big question…Ack, Ack, Ack?! #asknasa#aliens#tweetnipic.twitter.com/glScY7i1gW
— Glenn Matthew (@gmkfyi) September 26, 2015
Announcement from NASA: Mars rover finds alien feline species on mars. Unfortunately, Curiosity killed the cat.
— Zachary Kohls (@ZKohls) September 27, 2015
https://twitter.com/Nicole_Cliffe/status/648313590647160832