Has there ever been life on Mars? At first glance, it seems unlikely. Mars has been called a polar desert; the temperature hardly ever rises above freezing.  There is little water, only 10 percent of the amount on Earth. Liquid water is thought to be necessary for life. What little water exists on Mars is tied up in ice or in the atmosphere. There is barely any oxygen. The air is so thin that the sunâs harmful rays beat down almost unchecked. Any life form from Earth would quickly die on the surface of Mars. But Mars was not always as it is today. While it was never like Earth, Mars once had lava flowing from fiery volcanoes and perhaps streams moving across the rugged land.

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