Interesting information for lovers of the unknown.
Mars at all times aroused the curiosity of scientists and ordinary people, so it involves a lot of research and discovery. The message is the same scientists that Mars had water, became a sensation. Currently, two of three Mars Rover and Orbiter examined Mars, and soon to be joined by two more. In our review of the most interesting ideas that arise in the course of these scientific research.
10. The flyby of comet violated the magnetosphere of Mars
In September 2014, the spacecraft Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) entered orbit of Mars. Just a few weeks later, the probe has witnessed a rare occasion when the comet flew very close near the red planet. Comet C/2013 A1, also known as “Siding spring”, was opened in 2013.
Originally, scientists thought the comet crash into Mars, but these two objects were at a distance 140 000 km from each other. Because Mars is quite weak magnetosphere, the planet was literally filled with a layer of ions from the powerful magnetic field of the comet. NASA compared this effect with powerful, but short-lived solar storm. In the end, for some time the magnetic field of Mars plunged into chaos.
9. The Martian Mohawk
In 2013 was launched the spacecraft MAVEN to study the atmosphere of Mars. Based on the observations made by the probe, and computer simulation have proved that the planet has a pretty trendy “Mohawk”. Unusual “haircut” of Mars is actually made up of electrically charged particles, the solar wind torn from the upper layers of the planet’s atmosphere. Electric field generated by solar wind and other significant events on the Sun such as coronal mass ejections and solar flares, pull ions from the polar zones of the planet, creating a cloud of charged particles having the resemblance with the “Mohawk”.
8. Mars has impact glass, which could save a life
Impactit is a type of rock created by meteorite impact, i.e. the shock-explosive (impact) effects. It is actually a mixture of different rocks, minerals, glass and crystals formed due to the enormous pressure and temperature. Known sources of impactite on Earth – the crater of a car of Alamo in Nevada and the Darwin crater in Tasmania. Last year NASA found new sources of this substance on Mars.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has discovered deposits of impact glass, which is preserved in several craters on the red planet. In 2014 scientist Peter Schultz proved that this glass found in Argentina, preserved in vegetable matter and organic molecules, so it is possible that the impact glass on Mars may also contain traces of ancient life.
7. Future harvests of Mars
If humans ever inhabit Mars, they will have to develop methods of feeding colonists on the red planet. According to scientists from Wageningen University, now have four vegetable and grain crops that can be grown in the Martian soil and which are usable after that.
These four crops: tomatoes, radishes, rye and peas. Dutch scientists have grown them in the soil, the composition of which was as close to Mars based on NASA’s data. Although this soil contains large amounts of heavy metals such as cadmium and copper, the food grown in it, were not absorbed by these metals in sufficient quantity to present a danger to people.
6. Martian dunes or Morse code
The Rovers and probes has long been studying the Martian dunes, but recent pictures taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, has puzzled scientists. In February 2016, the spacecraft transmitted pictures of the dunes complex shape that was very reminiscent of dots and dashes used in Morse code. Scientists believe that most likely the old crater from a meteorite have limited quantity of sand which formed the dunes, which led to this unusual form.
Dune dash was supposedly formed by winds that blew at a right angle from two directions, which resulted in their linear form. But as it formed sand dunes-the”point” is, scientists still can’t explain.
5. Martian mineral mystery
Region of Mars, investigated by the Curiosity Rover in 2015, raised many questions for NASA scientists. This area, known as “Marias”, is a geologically unusual area, where a layer of Sandstone sits on a bed of mudstone. In Mariasa there is a very high concentration of silica, up to 90 percent in some rocks. Silicon dioxide is a chemical compound found in rocks and minerals on Earth, primarily in quartz.
According to Curiosity project scientist albert yen, standard processes to increase the concentration of silicon dioxide involve either the dissolution of other ingredients or intake of silica from a different source. In any case, it needs water. Scientists were even more surprised when they took samples of rock. They for the first time on Mars came across a mineral called tridymite. Although tridymite is incredibly rare on Earth, in Marias was a huge amount and nobody has the slightest idea how it got there.
4. White planet
There was a time when the famous Red planet was actually more white than red. According to astronomers from the southern research Institute in boulder, this is because Mars has recently experienced an ice age, much more extreme than those that occurred on Earth. The team came to this conclusion watching the layers of ice at the North pole of Mars. With GPR astronomers have seen at a depth of 2 km beneath the icy crust of Mars a cross section in the structure of ice, which allegedly is evidence that the planet has experienced an intense ice age 370 000 years ago and 150,000 years is expected.
3. Martian underground volcanoes
Recently discovered deposits of tridymite attest to violent volcanic activity of Mars in the past. New data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter also suggest that Mars once had volcanoes that erupted under the ice. The probe studied the region of the red planet known as “Sisyphi Montes”.
It has a large number of flat-peaked mountains that look like volcanoes of Earth, thrown up under the ice. When this happens the eruption, it is typically powerful enough to break through the layer of ice and “shoot” large amounts of ash into the air. After such remains a clear trace of minerals and other compounds similar to that found in Sisyphi Montes.
2. Drevnearmyansky mega-tsunami
Scientists are still arguing about whether there was once on the red planet and the ocean. However, a new study indicates that the ocean really existed and it was raging a huge tsunami, in comparison with which earthly counterparts simply fade. So far the evidence indicates the existence of an ancient ocean, was considered the remnants of the shoreline, but a tsunami height of up to 120 meters, which time in three million years, upon the shore, simply erased the coastline.
Especially scientists interested in the study of craters near the coastline. After all, they have for millions of years had to accumulate the water that makes such craters which are perfect places for finding signs of ancient life.
1. Mars had more water than the Arctic ocean
Although the location of the ocean of Mars discussed so far, scientists agree that the red planet used to be a lot of water. NASA suggests that Mars once had enough water to completely cover the surface of the planet is one giant ocean with a depth of 140 meters.
Thus, water was probably concentrated in the ocean larger than Arctic ocean to the Land, which occupied about 19% of the surface of Mars. It is also assumed that Mars has lost 87 percent of its water, which has evaporated into space.
