NASA researchers have detected atomic oxygen in Mars’ atmosphere, thanks to the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, which soars on a plane 13.7 kilometres above Earth. The oxgyen atoms were found in the Martian upper atmosphere – known as the mesosphere – and the discovery could help astronomers identify how gases escaped from the Red Planet long ago. While this is super exciting for our understanding of Mars, the researchers found only half the amount of oxygen they expected, but this could be the result of variations in the atmosphere.
http://www.sciencealert.com/a-flying-observatory-just-detected-oxygen-in-the-martian-atmosphere
