Was there life on Mars?

Scientists continue to investigate whether Mars has ever supported life. Aspects of Mars that make it less hospitable for life are that it is too cold (being too far from the Sun), and has a very thin atmosphere (in part due to its weaker gravity). This would make the planet struggle to maintain liquefied water, which is a necessity for life on earth. In addition, unlike earth, the planet lacks a magnetosphere, without which delicate compounds would be destroyed by solar radiation.