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News: Spidery black objects on Mars surface raise speculation
Member Since: 5/10/2011
Posts: 16,465
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Spidery black objects on Mars surface raise speculation
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.
What the objects may look like up close.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow...184239849.html
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Member Since: 11/17/2011
Posts: 32,412
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Looks so awesome 
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Member Since: 12/31/2010
Posts: 26,257
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Moar info  Need moar infooooo
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Member Since: 4/25/2011
Posts: 41,661
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It's a possibility that there were living organisms in Mars but became extinct, right? We need more proof. This is interesting indeed.
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Banned
Member Since: 11/14/2011
Posts: 4,430
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Its oil ... watch Usa starting a war for "marsians peace"
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Member Since: 11/16/2011
Posts: 32,177
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Quote:
Originally posted by Kaqkavalli
Its oil ... watch Usa starting a war for "marsians peace"
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That would be interesting if it was oil. Would definitely put an end to the oil crisis for a LOOOONG time.
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Member Since: 5/10/2011
Posts: 16,465
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I hope they discover new creatures on Mars next. That would be so cool.
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Member Since: 8/3/2012
Posts: 19,910
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Quote:
Originally posted by Kaqkavalli
Its oil ... watch Usa starting a war for "marsians peace"
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Member Since: 5/8/2011
Posts: 3,738
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Quote:
Originally posted by jomarr
It's a possibility that there were living organisms in Mars but became extinct, right? We need more proof. This is interesting indeed.
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It's almost a guarantee that there were living organisms, maybe only one celled...assuming it had water.
Ingredients for life:
- The distance of the planet must be proportional to 1 Astronomical Unit (93 Million Miles), mean distance between Earth and Sun.. [Mars is a bit too far from the life zone.]
- Elements necessary for life: Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon, Calcium, Iron, etc. [Guaranteed]
- Water. [There's a popular theory on how we got our oceans, and that's due to comets. As millions of years pass, the planet accumulates these melted "ice" and become oceans. Likely if theory is true.]
- Lightning. Darwin first proposed the theory that Lightning caused the jump start of life here on Earth, making amino acids, the basic building block of life. The Urey-Miller experiment famously tested this theory, the results of which showed that sparks ignited in a chemical broth, over several days, could make amino acids.
Earth, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune all have lightning. We can assume that when Mars had a thicker atmosphere, more than likely that it had lightning. It probably still has lightning. I'm not sure.
And of course, there are a lot more requirements. It's not as simple as this. But, who's to say life elsewhere is based in human chemistry?
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Member Since: 8/2/2010
Posts: 8,726
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Quote:
Originally posted by ImARudeBoy
That would be interesting if it was oil. Would definitely put an end to the oil crisis for a LOOOONG time.
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I don't think that would be that easy... We should just tap into our Alaskan reserves
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Member Since: 8/16/2011
Posts: 60,893
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Quote:
Originally posted by Kaqkavalli
Its oil ... watch Usa starting a war for "marsians peace"
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omg
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Member Since: 11/16/2011
Posts: 32,177
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Quote:
Originally posted by ddeizaguirre
I don't think that would be that easy... We should just tap into our Alaskan reserves
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I know. I was just throwing out ideas. It would cost us millions (if not billions) to ship it from Mars.
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Member Since: 7/21/2007
Posts: 17,522
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Quote:
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the leading explanation is that the objects are geysers of CO2
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so its not space spiders. just gas.
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Member Since: 11/17/2011
Posts: 32,412
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Quote:
Originally posted by ImARudeBoy
I know. I was just throwing out ideas. It would cost us millions (if not billions) to ship it from Mars. |
OMg imagine if like something punctured one of the ships transporting the oil  Oil spill in space!!!
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Member Since: 5/10/2011
Posts: 16,465
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Quote:
Originally posted by LadyGagaStan93
OMg imagine if like something punctured one of the ships transporting the oil Oil spill in space!!! |
Gorl
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Member Since: 11/16/2011
Posts: 32,177
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Quote:
Originally posted by LadyGagaStan93
OMg imagine if like something punctured one of the ships transporting the oil Oil spill in space!!! |
At least it would't have any other chemicals or substances to bond with so the cleanup will be easy!
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Member Since: 4/21/2011
Posts: 42,362
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Another "spider" thread 
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Member Since: 5/8/2011
Posts: 3,738
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Quote:
Originally posted by RainMan
so its not space spiders. just gas.
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You thought they were spiders when they were shot 200 miles above the surface.... Really?
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Member Since: 7/21/2007
Posts: 17,522
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Quote:
Originally posted by Entity
You thought they were spiders when they were shot 200 miles above the surface.... Really?
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the thread title is misleading
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Member Since: 5/10/2011
Posts: 16,465
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Quote:
Originally posted by RainMan
the thread title is misleading
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No it's not. The title means an object resembling a spider not an actual spider.
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