American space agency NASA is gearing up to deliver what it considers to be a "major science finding" to the public on Monday, Sept. 28, regarding its ongoing exploration of the planet Mars.
NASA has arranged for a five-man panel of space experts to participate in a news conference at the James E. Webb Auditorium located in the space agency's Washington headquarters. The event can be viewed live via NASA Television as well as through the agency's official website.
Participants in the news conference include Dr. Jim Green, NASA's planetary science director, Dr. Michael A. Meyer, chief scientist involved in the Mars Exploration Program, Lujendra Ojha, a researcher from the Georgia Institute of Technology (GT), Mary Beth Wilhelm, of the Ames Research Center and Dr. Alfred McEwen, chief investigator working on the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE).
During the news conference, NASA will also conduct a question and answer session for media members on site as well by phone. The public can also raise their question to the panelists during the event using #AskNASA.
News about the major discovery has caused many space enthusiasts online to speculate what it could be about, including some who believe that the scientists have finally found evidence of life on Mars.
A user on Reddit, however, posted a link to a study that suggests the announcement will provide strong evidence that flows of briny water have been discovered on the red planet instead.
Dr. Alan Duffy, an astronomer at the Swinburne University of Technology in Australia, shared this same sentiment, stating that news about water on Mars is one of the worst kept secrets in the history of space.
He pointed out that the members of the NASA panel are scientists that have been investigating the possible presence of water on the red planet.
Duffy added that the news conference could be about the dark streaks observed on Mars, which could have been caused by melting mounds of ice found deep below the surface of the planet.
