Where did the water on Mars go? Hubble and MAVEN provide new answers.

Mars was once a wet planet, but most of its water vanished over the last 3 billion years. By combining data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the MAVEN mission, researchers are tracking how water atoms escape into space to reconstruct the history of the Red Planet.

While scientists have long understood that some of Mars' water moved underground, the fate of the remaining water has been a mystery. To solve this, researchers analyzed the current rate at which atoms escape the Martian atmosphere into space.

By integrating observations from Hubble and the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission, the team established a baseline for current escape rates. This data allows scientists to extrapolate backwards, providing a clearer picture of how much water existed on Mars and how it was lost over the past 3 billion years.

Source: Hubble Helps Solve The Mystery of Mars’ Escaping Water