[Regnum] Chinese scientists have confirmed for the first time the existence of a solid core on Mars. This was reported on September 4 by the Chinese newspaper Global Times.
According to the publication, a joint group of scientists from China and the United States, led by professors Sun Daoyuan and Mao Zhu from the University of Science and Technology of China, presented the results of the study in the journal Nature.
"Further analysis has revealed for the first time evidence of a solid inner core inside Mars and measured its radius at about 600 kilometers, one-fifth of Mars' total radius. If Mars were scaled up to the size of Earth, the proportions between its inner and outer cores would be strikingly similar to Earth's," the newspaper said.
Scientists note that this discovery creates an important basis for comparing the evolution of Mars, Earth and other terrestrial planets.
Earlier, American scientist Vincent F. Chevrier from the University of Arkansas conducted almost 20 years of research on Mars, analyzed meteorological data from the landing site of the Viking 2 apparatus and used computer modeling to determine the conditions for the formation of liquid brines on the planet's surface. He found that the key role is played by calcium perchlorate salts, which are capable of keeping water in a liquid state at sub-zero temperatures, and showed that brines form twice a day - early in the morning and late in the evening at the end of the Martian winter and early spring, when frost and ice crust begin to melt.
The study found that although the volume of liquid water is extremely small, its presence could be important for future human missions and the search for signs of life. Chevrier noted that even short-lived liquid environments can leave chemical and geomorphological traces on the surface of Mars, which expands the potential areas for searching for microbial life and challenges the established idea that the planet is completely dry.
On May 28, American entrepreneur, billionaire and head of the space corporation SpaceX Elon Musk named a flight to Mars as his main goal. At the same time, he did not rule out the possibility of a flight to the Moon.