Liquid Water Could Form on the Surface of Mars (VIDEO)

Could there actually be water on the surface of Mars? It's possible, according to a new study. Scientists have used a chamber to mimics the Red Planet's below-freezing temperatures and conditions and have shown that water could form on the planet, despite the cold.

Researchers have already found promising signs of potential water on Mars. They've spotted gullies down crater rims and Phoenix spacecraft self-portraits appeared to show wet beads on the lander's leg several years ago.

In 2008, researchers first noticed the globules in photos that Phoenix sent back and over several weeks, these droplets seemed to grow and coalesce. The researchers suggested that the salts on the planet's surface might make this water possible, which is why scientists recreated the Phoenix landing site conditions in their lab. Temperatures ranged from -185 to -5 degrees Fahrenheit and atmospheric pressured hovered around 1 percent of Earth's.

In the end, the researchers found that a type of salt present in Martian soil can readily melt any ice that it touches. That said, this Martian salt can't form liquid water by sucking water out of an air through a process called deliquescence.

"For me, the most exciting thing is that I can now understand how the droplets formed on the Phoenix leg," said Nilton Renno, one of the researchers, in a news release.

The findings show how small amounts of liquid water could potentially exist on Mars. This, in turn, could mean that the Red Planet might support microbial life.

"Mars is the planet in our solar system that is most similar to Earth," said Erik Fischer, first author of the new paper. "Studies suggest that Mars used to be even more Earth-like in the past, with flowing water on the surface. By studying the formation of liquid water on Mars we can learn about the possibilities of life outside Earth and look for resources for future missions."

The findings are published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Want to learn more? Check out the video below, courtesy of YouTube.