Humans are now planning to increase the temperature of Mars. Will it become habitable?

Humans have been making plans to make Mars their home someday and billionaire Elon Musk has already expressed his wish to coloniseMars by 2050.

Taking ahead this idea, a team of scientists have now proposedan 'innovative' way to increase the temperature of the Red Planet by more than 18 degrees Fahrenheit in just a few months, which they think will be enough to sustain human life.

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According to the scientists, Martian dust would be injected into the atmosphere of the planet in large quantities toimprove its ability to trap heat, like carbon dioxide and water vapour are captured on Earth.

The scientists will shoot nearly 10 litres of dust, filled with iron and aluminium, every second for nearly a decade to change its temperature from -85F to 86F.

Musk had earlier said that he was planning to use the natural resources on Mars for "terraforming" its atmosphere and turn it into a wetter and warmer planet.

"It’s not that often you get some really quite new, innovative idea for terraforming," said Colin McInnes, who is a space engineer at the University ofGlasgow, while speaking to Science Magazine.

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"The gap between where Mars is and where Mars could be for habitability is narrower than we might think," he added.

The approach of the researchers is based on the atmospheric mechanism that has been driving climate change on Earth.

Here's how the experiment can be carried out in the atmosphere of Mars

Currently, the atmosphere of Mars is so thin that heat from the sun escapes easily from the surface of the planet.

The Martian dust's microscopic size and spherical shape means that it is not good at reflecting heat back to the surface or absorbing radiation.

However, the research team thinks that they can use iron and aluminium in the dust for engineering nine-micrometre-long rods.

This is around twice the size of a Martian dust particle, however, it is smaller in comparison to a speck of glitter.

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After the researchers tested how their particles continue to absorb heat radiation and reflect it towards the surface of the planet, they found "unexpectedly huge effects," said Samaneh Ansari, the study's lead author, while speaking to Science Magazine.

This experiment requires nearly two million tonnes of particles every year, however, manufacturing them will be relatively easy since the ingredients are on Mars.

(With inputs from agencies)