Asked by: Harvey Wood, by email
Various ideas have been proposed, many involving the release of chemicals into Mars’s atmosphere to trap the Sun’s heat, triggering a greenhouse effect. This might then make Mars suitable for bacteria or plants capable of turning carbon dioxide into oxygen.
So, it may be possible – but don’t hold your breath.
Read more:
- Why doesn’t Earth’s atmosphere vanish into the vacuum of space?
- Does the debris around Earth affect the atmosphere?
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Authors
Robert is a science writer and visiting professor of science at Aston University. He likes maths, West End musicals and hamsters.
