Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Angel, devil and blood-red heart appear at Martian south pole
https://www.livescience.com ^ | 12/18/2020 | By Brandon Specktor

Posted on 12/21/2020 12:42:00 PM PST by Red Badger

It's summer in Mars' southern hemisphere, and strange structures are crawling out of the ice.

It's summer at the south pole of Mars, and the angels and devils are coming out to play. You can see them both in a stunning new image of the recently thawed pole, taken by the European Space Agency (ESA).

The devils, it should be said, are made of dust. Just like on Earth, Martian dust devils form when a pocket of warm air suddenly rises through a column of cool air, creating a spinning updraft. (Unlike on Earth, these dusty cyclones can tower 6 miles, or 10 kilometers, high). You can see the scratchy-scratchy tracks of one such cyclone in the dark region to the far left of this image.

And as for the angel? For an explanation, we'll have to turn to the heavens. Take a close look at the "halo" around the angel's head, and you'll notice the steep, sloping walls of an impact crater. According to a statement from the ESA, this ethereal feature is the product of a meteorite collision that dug deep into the Red Planet's crust, building a crater and revealing the layers of ancient sediment below.

(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Astronomy; History; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: jpl; mars; nasa

1 posted on 12/21/2020 12:42:00 PM PST by Red Badger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

I’ll take “Famous Pieces of Toast” for $100.”


2 posted on 12/21/2020 12:45:33 PM PST by Pearls Before Swine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Fudge ripple ice cream, maybe.


3 posted on 12/21/2020 12:46:08 PM PST by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Looks like an orangatang with outstretched arms and his ding-a-ling hangin’.


4 posted on 12/21/2020 12:51:10 PM PST by V_TWIN (Where's Hunter???)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pearls Before Swine

Find the Pope in the pizza! MC: Father Sarducci!


5 posted on 12/21/2020 12:51:45 PM PST by 17th Miss Regt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Pearls Before Swine

6 posted on 12/21/2020 12:53:07 PM PST by PGR88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

7 posted on 12/21/2020 12:57:47 PM PST by z3n
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pearls Before Swine

LOL!


8 posted on 12/21/2020 1:05:24 PM PST by Viking2002 (When aliens fly past Earth, they probably lock their doors.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Or it’s talcum like dust getting blown around in a 3 MPH wind.


9 posted on 12/21/2020 1:11:43 PM PST by Vermont Lt (We have entered "Insanity Week." Act accordingly.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson