According to new studies, the planet Mars was created differently than researchers have previously assumed. The development was not only longer, but also brutal.
How did the planet Mars come about? Judging by new research, in any case, differently than scientists have previously assumed. The formation of the Red Planet was surprisingly brutal and took much longer than expected.
Planet Mars: These are the new findings
It is not easy to understand how the planet Mars was shaped. But with the help of rocks that have come to Earth from the Red Planet, researchers believe they can reconstruct a small part of history . So far, scientists have assumed that Mars has grown rapidly two to four million years after the solar system was established.
However, new studies suggest that the planet Mars was smashed by multiple collisions in its early history and took about 20 million years to form . In fact, when studying the Mars rocks closely, researchers found elements such as tungsten and platinum that tend to stick to iron. From their isotopes one can read out when the formation of the planet could have happened.
From the discovery of these elements, scientists also conclude that the planet Mars was hit by so-called planetesimals after its core was formed. Planetsimals are tiny objects that are too small to be a planet.
Planet Mars: The search for more details continues
The Martian rocks that came to Earth are most likely from a very limited number of locations on the Red Planet. Therefore, scientists are now hoping that future Mars missions will be able to bring more Martian rocks to Earth for further investigation.
“To fully understand Mars, we need to understand the role that the earliest and most energetic collisions have played in its development and composition,” explains Dr. Simone Marchi – the lead author of the new paper from the Southwest Research Institute, according to Independent.
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