universetoday.com
New Insights Into Martian Atmosphere
Astronomers have found hydrogen peroxide in Mars' atmosphere. The team gathered the data when Mars made its closest approach to Earth in the summer of 2003, using the 15-metre James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) in Hawaii. Hydrogen peroxide is used as an antiseptic to kill bacteria on Earth, so it could help sterilize the surface of Mars. Many astrobiologists now think that the best chance of finding bacteria on Mars will be underneath the surface, which would be protected from this hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
Fraser Cain