Mars Has Rats, Radiation, Rivers: Mars Once Had River, Currently Has Critter (Kinda), Astronauts Can't Check Because Of Cancer

Mars has been the subject of some fascinating finds lately thanks to NASA's Curiosity Rover. The rover found evidence of water - and maybe, according to some conspiracy theorists, a rat/lizard/squirrel of some sort. Sadly, though, astronauts won't be checking for a while, in part because doing so would greatly increase their risk of cancer due to radiation.

The most plausible story of the bunch is that NASA's Curiosity Rover found evidence that there was once a river and that water flowed on Mars. The Rover found pebbles most likely shaped by water. Several areas of densely-packed pebbles were photographed, and by looking closely at them, researchers found something curious.

The pebbles had traveled a long way in water, being shaped by currents and deposited in an ancient riverbed.

The rocks in question were found near the landing site of the Curiosity Rover. The site is between Gale Crater and Mount Sharp, a peak that towers three miles above the crater.

And, in slightly-less-scientific news, a critter was spotted on Mars. Maybe. Another photo taken on Mars by the Curiosity Rover has a lot of the Internet's conspiracy theorists abuzz.

An enthusiastic blogger has spotted something funny-looking between rocks in a photo of Mars that looks like an animal.  Conspiracy theorists all over the Internet promptly exploded with speculation that the Red Planet holds life, particularly after the find was posted on an English-language website. Some are saying it is an amphibian, perhaps a lizard; others are guessing "rat".

 The message board UFOSightings said:

"With water existing on Mars in small amounts, its possible to find such desert animals wandering around...although very rare mind you. Then again, is NASA placing animals from tiny cyogenic chambers inside the rover onto the surface of Mars to conduct tests?"

Uh....maaaaybe. Unfortunately, astronauts can't go figure it out. Radiation would mean they face higher risks of cancer, according to new NASA measurements.

The Rover carried an instrument designed to gauge radiation on the surface of the Red Planet, but researchers used it for another purpose. They realized that by turning it on when the Rover was launched, they could see what happened as it actually travelled to space.

The findings showed that "the radiation environment is several hundred times more intense than it is on Earth," according to Cary Zeitlin, a scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo.

This could mean that NASA will develop better shields, faster launches to shorten the exposure, or a decision to scrap missions altogether.

NASA is not planning to send people to Mars until the 2030s, but with the existing technology, getting there and coming back to Earth would take six months each. During that time, cancer risk would be increased beyond the acceptable limits due to exposure to radiation.