By AARON MACKEY A historic chemistry test of Mars' arctic surface suggests the red planet is capable of supporting plants and microscopic life, though scientists with the UA-led Phoenix Mars lander were careful to qualify their initial findings Thursday.

By JOHN JOHNSON JR By John Johnson Jr. Los Angeles Times The first chemistry results from Mars' northern plain reveal an environment more hospitable to life than some scientists had predicted, one that might allow future colonists to grow crops as familiar on Earth as asparagus and green beans.

NASA scientists said Thursday that the soil on Mars appears to have elements favorable to supporting life. The “flabbergasted” scientists are part of the Phoenix Mars Lander mission. They said a preliminary analysis on a soil sample obtained by the spacecraft's 8-foot robotic arm had shown the Martian soil to be much more alkaline than expected.