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Posted on 02/22/2005 5:52:37 PM PST by NormsRevenge
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Images relayed by a European space probe reveal the existence of a sea of ice close to the equator of Mars, scientists said Tuesday at a conference in the Netherlands. The existence of water or ice would significantly increase the chance that microscopic life may also be found on Mars.
The evidence comes from photographs — not yet published — taken last year by the European Space Agency's Mars Express probe currently orbiting the red planet.
Scientists have long theorized there was once water on Mars, and data from NASA (news - web sites)'s Mars Rovers has recently appeared to confirm it. But most scientists believed the water had evaporated into the atmosphere early in the planet's history.
"The point is that the ice is very recent: it appears to still be there, covered beneath a layer of dust and ash," John Murray of Britain's Open University told the Associated Press in a telephone interview.
Photographs from the Mars Express showing what ESA scientists said was the most direct evidence yet of water in the form of ice on the red planet have been sent back and analyzed over the past few months.
Murray co-authored a paper detailing the findings which was to be published in the March 17 issue of Nature.
"You can see pack ice in formations that are remarkably similar, identical to ice floes in Antarctica," he said.
Murray said the ice was believed to have formed five million years ago — the blink of an eye, in geological terms — atop a body of water the size of Earth's North Sea.
The water is believed to have originated beneath the surface of Mars, near a series of fractures known as the Cerberus Fossae, where it gushed forth in a catastrophic flood after being warmed by the planet's core.
It collected in a vast area more than 500 miles long and wide, and 50 yards deep.
"If there were warm, wet places, then life could have developed," Murray said.
"That's the place we should look."
The findings were discussed at a major conference in Noordwijk which concludes Friday.
#5- is that a nasty joke?? or not?? I don't know whether to laugh or not =o)
This is what happens when you stop global warming, the freaken place freezes over.
It's not nasty. It's a God given pleasure. ;)
"In my experience, this has been correct."
Ohhhwaaaaa. (:>)
You have picked the right Freeper name for yourself.LOL
http://www.cyberspaceorbit.com/steadlake.html
Lake Steadman on Mars, at Latitude 24.65°, Longitude 207.10°
Lots more like it...
Oh, man! That's where he cratered from the balconey dive during spring break, dude! Remember? You held his beer for him! :-D
"Well that's his lookout then isn't it?"-Arthur Dent
If this turns out to be true, then its importance cannot be underestimated. And people are mostly dismissing it with crude jokes.
LOL.
Not sure I can identify or even speculate on the two smooth, oval convex objects in the right half of the picture. Anybody have any guesses?
crater impacts, most likely,, fairly new too...
The ESA Mars Express site has some good photos of that general area around the Olympus Mons volcano.
One thing is that it isn't a total surprise; the rovers have been crawling around for a year. Another thing is this is a Euro spacecraft, not NASA. Another thing is most FReepers don't realize they are part of the global civil society.
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(I'm not sure Hoagland can resist photo-shopping his Mars images)
The only reason I questioned it was that the small craters on the left are illuminated on the right side indicating the sun's position was to the left. If so, why are the larger "craters" illuminated on the left side? It certainly gives the visual impression that they are raised dome-shaped formations.
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