Agency says it may have found signs of life on the Red Planet Mars during a press conference about comet 3I/ATLAS
NASA has confirmed the possible discovery of signs of ancient life on Mars, while quashing rumours that the comet 3I/ATLAS was an “alien spaceship”.
During a press conference, NASA’s Associate Administrator, Amit Kshatriya, informed thousands of space enthusiasts about signals indicating the presence of ancient life forms on the Martian surface.
He stated: “Just a few months ago we talked about what we think might be the signal from ancient life on the surface of Mars from our amazing machines that have been roving the planet. It could be an amazing discovery if we can confirm it.”
Meanwhile, China has found caves on Mars where life could still yet be hiding out. Scientists have come across eight of them that appear to have been carved out by water, making them a perfect spot for little green microbes.
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb had previously suggested online that 3I/ATLAS was a “spaceship”, citing anomalies displayed by the comet, reports the Daily Star.
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However, Mr Kshatriya dismissed these speculations in his address, affirming that 3I/ATLAS “is a comet”. He later added: “A little bit more about the rumours, I think it is great the world is speculating about the comet.
“I took away just how interested and excited people were about the possibility of what this comet could be. What I think is really awesome is that folks are interested.
“What it could mean about how magical the universe could be… We think the universe is a magical place and we spend all our time exploring that. We want very much to find signs of life in the universe.”
In a blog post published just hours before the NASA conference, Mr Loeb penned: “If an interstellar object happens to be technological, it could pose a threat to humanity.
“A few months ago, I described the `Loeb Scale’ – where a rank of `0′ implies a natural comet and a rank of `10′ corresponds to alien technology that threatens humanity.
“We do not have a response protocol for alien technology, but after the first encounter – as long as we survive it – there will be political will to invest trillions of dollars in a warning system of interceptors that take close-up photos of anomalous interstellar objects.
“3I/ATLAS is expected to arrive closest to Earth at a distance of 269 million kilometers on December 19, 2025. Let us hope that it will not deliver us any unwanted gifts for the holidays.”
