Life on Mars, Water on Mars, or Matt Damon on Mars?

Very effervescent times here in New Zealand, at least with the NASA announcement from tomorrow. As Professor Kathleen Campbell said in her radio interview from today, “if they can wake up at 4 am to watch a rugby game (I loved that!) I can wake up at 4:30 am to watch the NASA press conference”. I will try too, okay!?!

So the phone has been buzzing today more than usual and thanks to Space Place at Carter Observatory and TVNZ I had the chance to express my opinion on the matter on TV:

Haritina on TVNZ speculating about NASA’s ‘MAJOR’ Discovery

and on a Fairfax interview

But other than the fact this discovery coincides with the launch of the Martian – which by the way is the most scientific to date movie made AND had a lot of input from NASA:

Ridley Scott on the science of ‘The Martian‘ (starting in Cinemas across NZ tomorrow),

I would say that if there were life on Mars, then the President of the United States would have made the announcement, like he did for the Alan Hills Meteorite. But in this case there he is nowhere to be seen, which makes me think what they’ve found must be liquid water.

Elementary, my dear Watson!

P.S. – Yes, it was water on Mars and this is a MAJOR discovery because 

“We now have I think great opportunities to be in the right locations on Mars to thoroughly investigate that.” – Jim Green, NASA’s director of planetary science

Read more here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/72498588/mars-mystery-excites-nz-space-expert

Or listen on Radio New Zealand http://astrobiology.kiwi/why-is-finding-water-on-mars-important-for-astrobiology/

Or watch the reply from Seven Sharp here http://tvnz.co.nz/seven-sharp/you-game-living-mars-not-same-life-video-6395254

And they keep coming http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/72502135/Kiwi-stargazers-and-scientists-celebrate-Mars-discovery-predict-manned-mission