[NormsRevenge]

This photo taken May 19, 2005, provided by NASA, shows a false color image captured by Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. It shows the rim of Gusev crater on Mars. This picture of the western sky was obtained using Pancam's 750-nanometer, 530-nanometer and 430-nanometer color filters. This filter combination allows false color images to be generated that are similar to what a human would see, but with the colors slightly exaggerated. Nearly two years after NASA's twin rovers parachuted to Mars, a Jekyll-and-Hyde picture is emerging about the planet's past and whether it could have supported life. Both Spirit and Opportunity uncovered geologic evidence of a wet past, a sign that ancient Mars may have been hospitable to life. But new findings reveal the Red Planet was also once such a hostile place that the environment may have prevented life from developing. (AP Photo/NASA/JPL/Texas A&M/Cornell)

[Just A Nobody]

Oh, pardon me - I thought this was about Karl! ;*)

[BluH2o]

Geez ... for a minute I thought they had found traces of bone fragment indicating cannibals had once roamed the red planet.

[sam_paine]

Mars once was moist and had surface water that disappeared about 3 1/2 billion years ago, leaving the planet dry and cold.

So that puts the catastrophic event sometime during the day after 3 1/2 billion years ago?

[msnimje]

But the question remains, is San Francisco capable of supporting life?

[Killborn]

Yeah the fact that the planet is barren is a pretty good tip off that Mars might not be too hospitable to life.

[FreedomCalls]

Rovers Find Evidence Mars Was Once Hostile

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Wonder Warthog]

"..that fluctuated between being very acidic and arid — conditions that were probably unfavorable to life."

Being acidic is no barrier to life. Lots of critters seem to do fine in the immediate vicinity of "black smokers" in the ocean depths where the pH is quite low.

[Brilliant]

More hostile than it is now? Isn't the average temperature something like 200 below zero?

[Keli Kilohana]

So, like Uranus, it has noxious fumes swirling around it?

[Peach]

Ping for an interesting article about Mars.

[Verginius Rufus]

Looks like it may be time to give up on Mars and focus on Mercury.

Mercury's year is 88 earth-days long and its day (from sunrise to sunrise) is about 176 earth-days long (each Mercurian day is about two Mercurian years long). Near the north pole there may be ice. The average surface temperature is estimated to be 333 degrees Fahrenheit, but there would be a great difference between daytime and night-time--maybe there's a spot at the north pole where it stays half-way between the extremes.

If nothing else, it could be a useful place to send Al Qaida suspects, out of the reach of ACLU lawyers.

[Professional Engineer]

Bttt

[Oztrich Boy]

Rovers Find Evidence Mars Was Once Hostile
She's certainly got an attitude

[Calpernia]

Was this a typo in the title then? Not by you Norm, by AP.

Was Hostile suppose to be Hospitable?

[Redcloak]

It's not the safest neighborhood for little robots these days either...

[devane617]

Did they find a pair of panties in a tree? When they do, I will be interested.

[Jackknife]

[isom35]

the Prisoner learned not to mess with Rover:

http://www.space.com/images/rotundus-rover.jpg

[Thinkin' Gal]

In August, Spirit climbed to the top of a Martian hill as tall as the Statue of Liberty. After a month at the summit, the rover is making its way down to explore a basin that holds geologic promise. Spirit recently did some nighttime viewing of the sky and photographed a lunar eclipse of Mars' moon Phobos.

Mars Hill ping! That would be Husband Hill:

Cosmic Climbing and Timing

July 13, 2005

A poetic cosmic convergence is building to a crescendo: as the first space shuttle flight since the loss of the Shuttle Columbia prepares to fly 200 miles (320 kilometers) above the Earth, the Spirit rover is climbing the last 200 meters (656 feet) toward the summit of the "Columbia Hills" on Mars.

After two years of meticulous preparations for Return to Flight, the Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to fly, and after 19 months of dauntless determination, Spirit is nearing the top of "Husband Hill."

Named after Rick Husband, Commander of the Shuttle Columbia, "Husband Hill" is the tallest among seven hills, each named after the brave souls who flew on Columbia's last mission.

Rover driver Chris Leger remembers Principal Investigator Steve Squyres' enthusiasm about the "Columbia Hills" on Mars. When Spirit first landed in Gusev Crater, the hills were 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) away. Enamored with the expansive landscape, Leger recalls Squyres saying, "The real fun will come when we try to climb those mountains." Leger thought, "Yeah right - we don't even know if we can drive 200 meters (656 feet) - the "Columbia Hills" are just a dream!"

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/spotlight/spirit/20050713.html

Columbia Hills named as memorial on Mars
Seven peaks near Spirit site honor seven astronauts

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4143223/

Present-day Mars is dusty, dry and cold with no apparent sign of life on its barren, rust-colored surface.

697 Areios Pagos {ar'-i-os pag'-os}

from Ares (the name of the Greek deity of war) and a derivative
of 4078;; n pr loc

AV - Areopagus 1, Mars Hill 1; 2

Areopagus = "martial peak"
1) a rocky height in the city of Athens, opposite the western end
of the Acropolis toward the west.

This hill belonged to (Ares) Mars and was called Mar's Hill; so
called, because, as the story went, Mars, having slain Halirrhothius,
son of Neptune, for the attempted violation of his daughter Alicippe,
was tried for the murder here before twelve gods as judges. This
place was the location where the judges convened who, by appointment
of Solon, had jurisdiction of capital offences, (as wilful murder,
arson, poisoning, malicious wounding, and breach of established
religious usages). The court itself was called Areopagus from the
place where it sat, also "Areum judicium" an "curia". To that hill
the apostle Paul was not led to defend himself before judges, but
that he might set forth his opinions on divine subjects to a greater
multitude of people, flocking together there and eager to hear
something new.

Acts 17:22-23

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.