Mystery Mars haze baffles scientists

bbc ^ | Rebecca Morelle

[BenLurkin]

A mysterious haze high above Mars has left scientists scratching their heads.

The vast plume was initially spotted by amateur astronomers in 2012, and appeared twice before vanishing.

Scientists have now analysed the images and say that say the formation, stretching for more than 1,000km, is larger than any seen before.

Writing in the journal Nature, the researchers believe the plume could be a large cloud or an exceptionally bright aurora.

However, they are unsure how these could have formed in the thin upper reaches of the Martian atmosphere.

Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote To begin with, I thought there was a problem with the telescope or camera” End Quote Damian Peach

Astronomer

"It raises more questions than answers," said Antonio Garcia Munoz, a planetary scientist from the European Space Agency.

Around the world, a network of amateur astronomers keep their telescopes trained on the Red Planet.

They first spotted the strange plume in March 2012 above Mars' southern hemisphere.

[BenLurkin]

[beethovenfan]

Climate change!

[Darksheare]

NOT my fault!

[hadaclueonce]

Must be Freon, must be life to use Freon.

See what I did there? Typical NASA move.

[SunkenCiv]

They say aurora, I say impact.

join or quit view topics view or post blog bookmark post new topic subscribe

[PROCON]

It’s obvious that Mars, like the Erf, has exceeded planetary boundaries.

[workerbee]

I couldn’t access it, but there’s a Dec 2014 article at the link, just below this one, called “Mars belches methane”. So...couldn’t it be methane? And wouldn’t it be prudent to have the EPA investigate and place restrictions on Mars? Cuz we have enough global warming of our own without Mars adding to it! /sarc

[Sasparilla]

“Mars belches methane.” Hope it doesn’t explode.

[CodeToad]

Mars Rover burning rubber?

[RandallFlagg]

They’ve launched their landing crafts with the tripods inside.

The invasion is beginning.

[Reverend Saltine]

Who the ___k CARES??

It’s another godamm planet so far away it will NEVEr matter!

[MHGinTN]

The Martians living below the surface dump their garbage gas. Nothing to see here. Move along.

[Darksheare]

It’s why the Martians died off.

[Lake Living]

It’s Global Warming - only on it’s on Mars. Too many SUVs don’t cha know!

[PROCON]

Well, they started it...

[Zeppo]

Baffled boffins, eh?

[BenLurkin]

“This just in from Grover’s Mill, New Jersey....”

[mikrofon]

It's just an active Martian volcano – Mons de Plume

[Damifino]

[SargeK]

Seriously, how do they think a dead planet with a frozen core and no magnetic field to speak of generates an aurora? It ought to be easy enough to determine if there even was a CME thrown thattaway.