Global Warming...On Mars???

We've all heard about climate change here on Earth, but who knew that global warming was happening on Mars, too? Based on melting that is observable on the surface of the red planet, scientists have determined that Mars has been warming along with the planet Earth.

One Russian scientist, Habibullo Abdussamatovm, believes that this fact points to increased solar output as the cause of climate change here on Earth. He believes the sun goes through cycles of "solar irradiance" which warm and cool the planets in its orbit. While he acknowledges human activity as a possible antagonizing factor of global warming, he does not believe it is the main cause.

This is a rather controversial position in the scientific community. Many scientists are quick to refute this position, claiming that the two planets' climate trends are not connected. The Earth's climate changes are held to be caused by carbon emissions. Mars' changes, on the other hand, are thought to be caused by wobbles in that planet's orbit that periodically put it closer to and farther from the Sun. Nevertheless, Abdussamatov claims that the similarities between the two planets' changes are too strong to be ignored.

What do other people think? On the one hand, global warming does seem predictable based upon our current carbon emissions. On the other hand, the connection between Earth and Mars, if it is as strong as it seems to be, is quite the coincidence. Perhaps both causes are at work. 

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