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Spidery black objects on Mars surface raise speculation [Was David Bowie right?]
yahoo ^ | October 4, 2012 | Eric Pfeiffer

Posted on 10/04/2012 3:41:05 PM PDT by grundle

Someone alert Ziggy Stardust, there appear to be spiders on Mars.

Strange black objects seen from 200 miles above the surface of Mars are generating interest and speculation that the unidentified objects could be anything from geysers to sunbathing colonies of microorganisms.

NPR presents several photos of the objects, including one taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on Jan. 27, 2010, that appears to show "little black flecks dotting the ridges, mostly on the sunny side, like sunbathing spiders sitting in rows."

The objects were first spotted in 1998. Interestingly, they appear when the surface of Mars begins to warm, showing up in the same location most of the time. And then when the Martian winter approaches, they disappear with the same precise regularity. The images have been brought into greater detail by Michael Benson in his book "Planetfall: New Solar System Visions."

Most scientists, including teams from the U.S. Geological Survey, Hungary and the European Space Agency, have their own theories, but the leading explanation is that the objects are geysers of CO2 exploding from underneath the planet's surface.

"If you were there, you'd be standing on a slab of carbon dioxide ice," Phil Christensen of Arizona State University told NPR. "All around you, roaring jets of carbon dioxide gas are throwing sand and dust a couple hundred feet into the air. The ground below would be rumbling. You'd feel it in your space boots."

And while the geyser theory is the most popular explanation, it has yet to be verified.

In the meantime, there are some interesting alternative theories, including one from a group of Hungarian scientists, who have speculated that the objects are actually colonies of photosynthetic Martian microorganisms that emerge each year to sunbathe in the warm weather.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: catastrophism; mars
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To: 21twelve

It is spotted; you can spot it in the photo.


41 posted on 10/04/2012 5:08:15 PM PDT by Ingtar (Everyone complains about the weather, but only Liberals try to legislate it.)
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To: cripplecreek

Looks like someone in a burqa.


42 posted on 10/04/2012 5:09:59 PM PDT by TigersEye (dishonorabledisclosure.com - OPSEC (give them support))
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To: grundle
"Bugs, sir.. Millions of them..." ..

43 posted on 10/04/2012 5:11:20 PM PDT by GonzoGOP (There are millions of paranoid people in the world and they are all out to get me.)
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To: Strategerist

I suppose it is perspective, but those are odd looking for dunes. Sandblasted rock isn’t really just right either when you consider the scale from 200 miles up. I’d love to see some close ups. The black areas don’t really look like shadow from CO2 geysers.


44 posted on 10/04/2012 5:14:03 PM PDT by JimSEA
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To: winodog

More spice worms, of course! :-D

I don’t have a stillsuit, but considering the lack of rain around these parts that might be a useful thing to have.


45 posted on 10/04/2012 5:32:07 PM PDT by 3Fingas (Sons and Daughters of Freedom, Committee of Correspondence)
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To: tet68

FWIW: They found one in 2004 - Mars Opportunity Spirit found what looked like a Crinoid (1M1312). The genius NASA team headed by Steven Squyres then used the grinder to grind off the offending formation to see further into the rock surface on Stone Mountain - they also found what looked like Blastoids.


46 posted on 10/04/2012 5:33:59 PM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
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To: Strategerist
Dune...and the worms!
47 posted on 10/04/2012 5:34:51 PM PDT by pepperdog ( I still get a thrill up my leg when spell check doesn't recognize the word Obama!)
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To: cripplecreek
These two images are excerpted from the same HiRise product, which I found on page 56 of 62 for the "science theme" of "Aeolian processes". In the large image below, excerpted from the original product at full resolution as indicated by the white rectangle, you can see smaller scale ripples on its surface. From the product information, I think the ripples are a meter or two across, and the excerpted scene is 250 meters wide.


48 posted on 10/04/2012 5:53:20 PM PDT by dr_lew
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To: grundle; a fool in paradise; Slings and Arrows
[Was David Bowie right?]

David Bowie was always right: Let's Dance!

49 posted on 10/04/2012 5:56:02 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong!)
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To: grundle

Someone has to go there and look.


50 posted on 10/04/2012 6:00:51 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (Take two Aspirin and call me in November - Obama for Hindmost.)
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To: cripplecreek

And if you look on the left side of that pic, in the 3rd “stitch” from the left edge of the panorama, you can see a Yeti peeping its head up from a ridge. Amazing the looks of some of these rocks. Pretty desolate place, but very cool to look at it close-up.


51 posted on 10/04/2012 6:12:30 PM PDT by onemiddleamerican (FUBO and all your terrorist buddies)
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To: onemiddleamerican

Just reading the other day that there have been some unexpectedly high temperatures recorded on Mars lately. (As much as 43 degrees F)

http://www.space.com/17828-mars-weather-curiosity-rover-discovery.html


52 posted on 10/04/2012 6:19:57 PM PDT by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: Strategerist

Thanks. Dunes blown by the wind seems quite plausible.


53 posted on 10/04/2012 7:13:45 PM PDT by grundle
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To: UCANSEE2

Thanks for the explanation and picture!


54 posted on 10/04/2012 7:16:11 PM PDT by grundle
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To: grundle

The Shadows (Babylon 5)


55 posted on 10/04/2012 7:39:05 PM PDT by dangus
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To: grundle

56 posted on 10/04/2012 7:59:42 PM PDT by Charles Henrickson
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To: grundle; 21twelve

You are both absolutely welcome.


57 posted on 10/04/2012 10:19:18 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 ( If you think I'm crazy, just wait until you talk to my invisible friend.)
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To: grundle; 21twelve
Let's play a game. What are these pictures of, and where are they from ?


58 posted on 10/04/2012 10:40:35 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 ( If you think I'm crazy, just wait until you talk to my invisible friend.)
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To: grundle; 21twelve
One more good one.


59 posted on 10/04/2012 10:48:50 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 ( If you think I'm crazy, just wait until you talk to my invisible friend.)
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To: UCANSEE2

I guess some are from an electron microscope, some from an optical microscope, some from satellite cameras orbiting earth, and one from the New Mexico desert.


60 posted on 10/04/2012 11:06:20 PM PDT by grundle
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