Scientists have discovered conditions on Mercury that may support life forms

Scientists have made an unexpected discovery: they found salty glaciers on the planet Mercury They consider it a signal to support a form of life, even if it is extreme.

According to space.comresearchers from Planetary Science Institute (PSI) They believe these salty glaciers may create the right conditions for life, because they resemble some of the extreme environments on Earth where microbial life thrives.

«Special salt compounds found in the earth create habitable niches in even some of the harshest environments “Where it occurs, such as the arid Atacama Desert in Chile,” said the study’s lead author and PSI scientist, Alexis Rodriguez. “This line of thinking leads us to think about it The possibility of underground regions on Mercury that may be more suitable for living than its solid surface».

Sites like those highlighted by the team are crucial because they define volatile-rich exposures across vast swaths of many planetary landscapes.

“This pioneering discovery of glaciers on Mercury expands our understanding of the environmental parameters that can support life, adding a vital dimension to our exploration of astrobiology that is also related to the potential habitability of Mercury-like exoplanets,” Rodriguez said.