Mars Orbiter Photos- Are These the Real 'Spiders from Mars'?

[Archaic]

See if you can figure out what these black specks on the surface of Mars might be:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/10/02/162147810/are-those-spidery-black-things-on-mars-dangerous-yup

When I saw them I immediately thought of H.G. Wells. There's something very creepy about the second photo... the forms look remarkably insectoid.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Archaic

[Phil Carter]

See if you can figure out what these black specks on the surface of Mars might be:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/10/02/162147810/are-those-spidery-black-things-on-mars-dangerous-yup

When I saw them I immediately thought of H.G. Wells. There's something very creepy about the second photo... the forms look remarkably insectoid.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Archaic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGg_qZQ0G20

Phil

[DVV]

Hi Bunny. Marvelous ! I like the Hungarian theory more than the leading one.

[Archaic]

Hi Bunny. Marvelous ! I like the Hungarian theory more than the leading one.

"Or — say a group of Hungarian scientists — they might be colonies of photosynthetic Martian microorganisms, warmed from the sun, now sunbathing in plain view. "

Hi David.

Maybe it's the Martian Riviera?


Archaic

[ChrisGeorge]

Hi all

I will view the video later but the topography looks to me like terrestrial sand or clay with darker substrata poking through -- mud or oil, something like that.

Chris

[DVV]

I'll never go there barefoot, Bunny

[Cogidubnus]

unless it's a macro-enlarged skin eruption...

I'll never go there barefoot

I wouldn't go there at all David - the anti-aircraft fire from those guns would be terrific!

All the best

Dave

[DVV]

Advice taken, Dave.
Dunno what's an anti-aircraft but it sounds terrific indeed.
Let's send a diaryist first.

[Cogidubnus]

Good move!

All the best

Dave

[Archaic]

Hi all

I will view the video later but the topography looks to me like terrestrial sand or clay with darker substrata poking through -- mud or oil, something like that.

Hi Chris. If it looks like oil I bet people are already planning how to extract it and bring it back to Earth so they can sell it to the rest of us!

(Or maybe they'll build a pipeline? )

But it takes the buildup of many sedimentary layers of dead organic material over long periods of time to create oil, so I think we're safe from the Martian Oil Tax for the time being.

I think if we had a better idea of the scale of the black specks it might help. I'm guessing they're actually quite large since they were photographed by the Mars Orbiter from 200 miles away. Those geographic features might be massive. Even the one that looks like the exoskeleton of a dead insect.

Best regards,
Archaic

PS: The video isn't science-related, it's David Bowie. I gave a nod to his album 'Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars' in the thread title. Couldn't resist.

[Archaic]

NASA Photo: 'Dotted Dunes'

Here's another photo, this one from NASA's website.

This is the caption:

"The Dotted Dunes of Mars
Credit & Copyright: Malin Space Science Systems, MOC, MGS, JPL, NASA

Explanation: What causes the black dots on dunes on Mars? As spring dawns on the Northern Hemisphere of Mars, dunes of sand near the poles begin to defrost. Thinner regions of ice typically thaw first revealing sand whose darkness soaks in sunlight and accelerates the thaw. By summer, the spots will have expanded to encompass the entire dunes that will then be completely thawed and dark. The carbon dioxide and water ice actually sublime in the thin atmosphere directly to gas. Taken in mid-July, the above image shows a field of spotted polar dunes spanning about 3 kilometers near the Martian North Pole. Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere of Mars, the Earth-sent robot Martian rovers will try to survive through Martian winter, which peaks in mid-September."

[Archaic]

Wow, look at all the photos of the Martian dunes available on Google Images!

It's staggering. And quite beautiful.

http://www.google.com/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1440&bih=717&q=dunes+of+Martian&oq=dunes+of+Martian&gs_l=img.12...1515.4876.0.6618.16.16.0.0.0.0.116.1425.11j5.16.0.cfrsh..0.0...1.1.1EtUp4-j8DM#hl=en&biw=1440&bih=717&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=dunes+of+Mars&oq=dunes+of+Mars&gs_l=img.12...0.0.1.241.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0.cfrsh..0.0...1.w6jPOXCKdyU&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=abb6aac35ef41a7e