Did life originate on Mars?

Did life originate on Mars? Let’s imagine Earth and Mars are two kids playing together.

Mars is a planet that used to be warm and wet, like when you take off your socks after a long bath, and the floor feels cozy. But now it's cold and dry, like when you leave your toys in the freezer overnight.

Scientists think life might have started on Mars, because long ago, Mars had oceans and maybe even rain. It was a good place for tiny living things to begin, kind of like how you can grow plants from seeds in a pot.

But then something happened: Mars got hit by big rocks (like when your favorite toy gets smashed), and some of those tiny living things might have traveled through space on the rocks, like little astronauts in a spaceship. Some of them landed here on Earth, maybe that’s how life began here too!

So now scientists are trying to find out if Mars is still hiding those old friends from long ago, or if they all came to Earth.

• We've sent robots to Mars.
• They found signs of water and things that might help life grow.
• It's like finding a clue, maybe the first living thing was on Mars!

So maybe life began on Mars, and then came here. That’s one fun way to think about it!