Weather On Mars Surprisingly Warm, Curiosity Rover Finds

Space.com ^ | 10/1/2012 | Space.com staff

[FreedomOfExpression]

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity is enjoying some nice, warm weather on the Red Planet — and spring hasn't even come to its landing site yet.

Curiosity's onboard weather station, which is called the Remote Environment Monitoring Station (REMS), has measured air temperatures as high as 43 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius) in the afternoon. And temperatures have climbed above freezing during more than half of the Martian days, or sols, since REMS was turned on, scientists said.

These measurements are a bit unexpected, since it's still late winter at Gale Crater, the spot 4.5 degrees south of the Martian equator where Curiosity touched down on Aug. 5.

"That we are seeing temperatures this warm already during the day is a surprise and very interesting," Felipe Gómez, of the Centro de Astrobiología in Madrid, said in a statement.

[FreedomOfExpression]

Solar system warming?
I saw a thread a little while ago on this subject, but it was pulled due to lack of source.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Algore needs to get off of his fat, high altitude ass and do something about this!

[Jet Jaguar]

Warmer there than Fairbanks, AK now. +42 F currently.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks FreedomOfExpression. An ‘extra, extra’ ping to APoD members.

[FreedomOfExpression]

The nights are a bit cooler on mars though, -94 degrees Fahrenheit.

[FreedomOfExpression]

You're welcome, SunkenCiv.

Strange, I've visited space.com several times this past week and didn't see this article.

[doorgunner69]

Yeah, well, the apparent altitude will leave you a bit breathless I am told.............

[Yaelle]

The polar bears on Mars are all dead.

[AZLiberty]

I blame all those American SUVs on Mars. Curiosity killed the climate.

[Lancey Howard]

Clearly, this Mars Rover SUV has already fouled the Martian environment.

[FreedomOfExpression]

We all know what this means! (Hopefully the image loads)

[GeronL]

Who will eco-nuts blame for this??

[UCANSEE2]

The nights are a bit cooler on mars though, -94 degrees Fahrenheit.

Probably due to the same reason it is 'unexpectedly' warm during the day.

Thin atmosphere, few clouds.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Martian SUVs?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

So what would be keepinging Mars so warm?

...they got no SUV's.......

[dsrtsage]

“The nights are a bit cooler on mars though, -94 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Yeah, but that’s only because the atmosphere is greater than 90% CO2

[GraceG]

Obligatory!

[American Constitutionalist]

The Sun's solar winds getting a little help from their friends to push the solar winds towards Mars.

[American Constitutionalist]

The REAL reason for Global Warming.

[Bullish]

Don’t forget your sunscreen.