SALT LAKE CITY -- The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter didn't get pictures of Marvin the Martian from the old Looney Tunes cartoons, but they found what they consider clear evidence that streams of water flow down Martian mountains, something that transforms the view of the red planet from a barren landscape with ice caps at its poles, to terrain permeated with one of the key building blocks for life.
University of Utah Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Ben Bromley, said the finding has implications beyond one planet.
"This is really exciting the surprise that Mars gave us," said Bromley.
Bromley was in studio on Monday to talk about the discovery.
Bromley studies planetary systems and the formation of planets in our solar system and in other star systems.
"One of the main objectives of doing this research is to determine whether there is life elsewhere in the universe, and today was a really great step in exploring a close planet to us, and in fact discovering environments are out there that may support life," said Bromley.
