Butler astronomy students focus on Mars findings

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Could there be life on Mars? That’s the question some Butler University professors and students are asking after a recent NASA announcement. Officials said water still flows on the planet from time to time.

Professor Rick Brown brought up the topic to his Astronomy 101 class Monday night, just hours after NASA’s news conference.

“What’s the significance of finding flowing water on Mars?” he asked the students.

During the lesson, student Joseph Kahles was all ears.

“Hopefully this going to lead us into some new directions,” Kahles said. “Give us some more discoveries that we can find on Mars.”

A floor below the classroom, in Butler’s planetarium, Brian Murphy studied some photos of the red planet. He’s the director of the Holcomb Observatory & Planetarium.

“It just adds to the ongoing pieces of evidence we have that there could have been, perhaps, life on Mars at one time,” Murphy said.

For Murphy, the findings add to the hope that humans can one day travel there.

“We know there’s water under the surface of Mars that’s needed for human life, for growing things and also for rocket fuel to get off the planet,” Murphy said.

Next year, NASA plans to send a device to Mars to study the planet’s interior. In 2020, officials say a rover will bring samples back from the planet for analysis.