This is an incredible achievement.<p>The "key traces of water" is awe inspiring in itself. However, what is more impressive is that Opportunity is still chugging along 7 years longer than predicted and making these discoveries. Unfortunately, NASA is pretty bad at displaying successes and explaining why it is important.<p>The press release: <a href="http://marsrover.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20111207a.html" rel="nofollow">http://marsrover.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20111207a.h...</a>
Can someone in the know please comment on the prospects for bacterial life on Mars?<p>I know nothing about biology or astronomy, but the case for life on Mars seems extremely good. I'm basing this on:<p>* Repeated offhand comments by Neil deGrasse Tyson (admittedly not a scientific source)<p>* Articles in popular newspapers about "Mars Farts" (I haven't read any scientific publications on the topic)<p>* Relatively recent (2009) reports about AL84001 (again, as understood by a layman)<p>What are the accepted scientific opinions about those last two items?