最新研究顯示，火星適宜居住的時間可能比先前預期的更長。
New findings suggest Mars may have been habitable for longer than thought
多年來，科學家一直認為火星在變成荒涼乾燥的廢土之前，曾有一段短暫的潮濕期。
For years, scientists believed that Mars had a short, wet period before turning into a frozen, dry wasteland.
研究顯示，火星並非經歷快速的轉變，而是很可能擁有穩定的環境——例如受保護的地下含水層——在表面變得嚴酷之後，仍能支持生命生存很長一段時間。
Research indicates that instead of a quick transition, Mars likely hosted stable environments—such as protected subsurface aquifers—that could have supported life long after the surface became harsh.
從在四十四點五億年前的鋯石顆粒中發現的古老熱液活動，到蓋爾撞擊坑中地下水與沙丘交互作用的證據，種種跡象顯示證據正不斷增加。
From ancient hydrothermal activity found in 4.45 billion-year-old zircon grains to evidence of groundwater interacting with sand dunes in Gale Crater, the evidence is mounting.
此外，關於火星磁場的研究顯示，其活躍時間比先前預想的更長，為火星大氣層提供了額外數百萬年的保護。
Furthermore, studies on the Martian magnetic field suggest it remained active longer than previously thought, shielding the planet's atmosphere for millions of additional years.
即使是三億年前可能還存在海洋的可能性，也挑戰了過去的舊說法。
Even the possibility of oceans existing as recently as 3 billion years ago challenges the old narrative.
未來的任務現在將優先考量深層撞擊坑結構，因為那裡有豐富的石膏等礦物質，眾所周知這些礦物質擅長保存有機物質。
Future missions will now prioritize deep crater formations where minerals like gypsum, known for preserving organic material, are abundant.
透過研究這些地質上的「避難所」，科學家希望揭開生物特徵的奧祕，證明火星不僅僅是在短暫的一瞬間適合居住，而是一個在一段長期時間內具有維持生命潛力的世界。
By studying these geological 'refuges,' scientists hope to uncover biosignatures that prove Mars was not just habitable for a brief moment, but a potentially life-sustaining world for an extended period.
