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We Earthlings are all too familiar with frost. That crisp, white layer we see on cold mornings, which forms when atmospheric water vapour condenses and freezes on surfaces, is a signature characteristic of Earthly winters.<br /><br />But on <keyword id="47638" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mars" source="Orion">Mars</keyword>, where the atmosphere is about 100 times thinner and contains 10,000 times less water vapour than Earth, such icy phenomena are extremely unlikely. <br /><br />Against all odds, scientists have detected water frost at Mars' equator for the first time ever! Even more astonishing, this discovery occurred in a Martian region where frost was once thought to be an impossibility.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Space cameras peek at Martian peaks, unveil their frosty secrets" comment="subhead" text="Space cameras peek at Martian peaks, unveil their frosty secrets"><span data-til="noop">Space cameras peek at Martian peaks, unveil their frosty secrets</span></cmsannotation><br />The frosty revelations come from observations of the Tharsis region on Mars, which includes some of the solar system's tallest volcanoes: Olympus Mons, Arsia Mons, Ascraeus Mons and Ceraunius Tholus. Here, deposits of transient morning frost were detected on the volcanoes' summits, regions previously assumed to be too warm for frost to form.<br /><br />This breakthrough began with the detection of lighter, bluish areas on the volcanoes' peaks by the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) on ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO). Initially puzzling, these light patches appeared consistently only in early morning observations during Mars' cold seasons.<br /><br /><div type="image" title="mars volcano frost top" msid="110933695" hostid="261" sizebytes="15376" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;A bird&amp;#39;s eye view of frost on Olympus Mons.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br />Further investigation confirmed that these lighter areas were indeed water frost, as the High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on ESA's Mars Express also recorded these features. Yet, the origin of this phenomenon remained elusive until researchers conducted numerical simulations to replicate the microclimate of Mars' volcanoes.<br /><br />These simulations, similar to those used in predicting Earth’s weather but tailored for Martian conditions, revealed that the clear zones corresponded with conditions suitable for water condensation. They confirmed that these icy patches were the result of frost forming overnight under the right climatic conditions on Mars.<br /><br />The simulations also showed that surface temperatures on these Martian volcanoes are conducive to the existence of frozen water. However, the intense solar exposure at the equator causes the frost to dissipate rapidly each morning, explaining its transient nature.<br /><br />The frost layer itself is extraordinarily thin, just 10 micrometres thick, reflecting Mars' limited atmospheric water vapour. In terms of volume, the frost could cover about 60 Olympic-sized swimming pools if harvested. Though this seems substantial, it's a minuscule quantity compared to Mars’ total surface area. Nonetheless, it represents a potential resource for future astronauts, who could use it for drinking water or converting it into rocket fuel.<br /><br />This discovery not only enhances our understanding of Mars' current water cycle, but also offers clues about its past climate and potential habitability. By refining our knowledge of Martian weather patterns, we can better prepare for future exploration and continue unravelling the mysteries of the Red Planet.<br /><br />These findings were recently published in the journal <em>Nature Geoscience</em> and can be accessed <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-024-01457-7">here</a>.<br />

Scientists have found frost on Mars’ volcano peaks, enough to fill 60 Olympic-sized swimming pools!

Scientists at the Physical Research Laboratory (<keyword id="20215884" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PRL" source="keywords">PRL</keyword>) in Ahmedabad have not only discovered a trio of craters on Mars, but have also received the honour of naming them.<br /><br /><em>Several decades later, humanity might find itself roughing it out on Mars. Once we’re there, there’s no telling that we won’t get lost — it being a whole new planet and all that. But were one of us to lose our way somewhere around the <keyword id="22039720" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tharsis-volcanic-region" source="keywords">Tharsis volcanic region</keyword>, we might stumble upon a sign reading "Hilsa," followed by the faint strains of a familiar tune, the ever-popular Bhojpuri song Lollypop Lageli, drifting through the thin air.</em><br /><br />The team at PRL stumbled upon three craters in Mars’ Tharsis volcanic region, near the equator in the western hemisphere of the Red Planet. Among these, the largest, a behemoth spanning 65 kilometres, has been named "Lal Crater" after the esteemed Professor Devendra Lal, a former PRL director who left a lasting legacy in cosmic ray physics and space research.<br /><br />Adjacent to Lal Crater lie two smaller craters, each 10 kilometres wide. These bear the names "<keyword id="22039731" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mursan-crater" source="Orion">Mursan Crater</keyword>" and "<keyword id="22039732" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hilsa-crater" source="Orion">Hilsa Crater</keyword>," a heartening tribute to the <keyword id="22043228" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-towns" source="keywords">Indian towns</keyword> of Mursan (Uttar Pradesh) and Hilsa (Bihar). <br /><br />Mursan Crater honours the town of Mursan in Uttar Pradesh, the birthplace of Dr. Anil Bharadwaj, PRL's current director. Similarly, Hilsa Crater pays tribute to the town of Hilsa in Bihar, the hometown of Dr Rajeev Ranjan Bharti, a key PRL scientist involved in the discovery.<br /><br />This prestigious recognition by the <keyword id="20208943" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="International-Astronomical-Union" source="keywords">International Astronomical Union</keyword> (IAU), the ultimate authority on celestial body names, marks a significant milestone for India's growing role in planetary exploration. The true scientific significance, however, lies beneath the surface. <br /><br />Using NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) equipped with the powerful SHARAD radar, the team peered through the Martian crust. What they found beneath Lal Crater was a game-changer: a massive 45-metre thick layer of sediment!<br /><br />This discovery is a scientific Rosetta Stone, unlocking secrets about Mars' watery past. The presence of such a thick layer of sediment strongly suggests that water once flowed freely on the Red Planet, carrying and depositing vast quantities of material over time.<br /><br />"This discovery confirms that Mars was once wet and water has flown on the surface," said Dr Anil Bhardwaj, Director of PRL. "It is a significant step in unravelling the planet's geological history and potential for harbouring life."<br /><br />In other news, scientists have also detected water frost at Mars' equator for the first time ever despite the thin atmosphere. This frost appears on Martian volcanoes in the morning and disappears quickly due to sunlight. The frost is very thin but could be a water resource for future astronauts!<br /><br />Meanwhile, the PRL team's findings, published in the<em> Astrophysical Journal</em>, not only add valuable pieces to the Martian puzzle but also showcase India's growing prowess in space exploration.<br />

UP, Bihar towns on Mars? Indian scientists name newly discovered Martian craters Mursan and Hilsa

Washington, <keyword id="6360409" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="nasa" source="Orion">NASA</keyword>'s <keyword id="47638" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="mars" source="Orion">Mars</keyword> Reconnaissance Orbiter (<keyword id="46371" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="mro" source="Orion">MRO</keyword>) spacecraft has captured unusual circles of sand dunes on the Red Planet.<br /><br />The dunes were snapped by MRO's High Resolution Imaging Experiment (HiRise) colour camera.<br /><br />While sand dunes of many shapes and sizes are common on Mars. The MRO captured "dunes that are almost perfectly circular, which is unusual," wrote planetary geologist <keyword id="1636162" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="alfred-mcewen" source="Orion">Alfred McEwen</keyword> for a HiRise picture-of-the-day feature.<br /><br />While being circular, "they are still slightly asymmetrical" and have "steep slip faces on the south ends," McEwen wrote.<br /><br />He explained that this indicates that "sand generally moves to the south, but the winds may be variable".<br /><br />The dunes were snapped in late November last year - when researchers were studying the area to monitor for seasonal changes in frost coverage. This image shows frost is absent from the landscape.<br /><br />MRO, which has higher-resolution instruments than <keyword id="322890" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="odyssey" source="Orion">Odyssey</keyword>, was launched in 2005. It has studied the Red Planet's atmosphere and terrain from orbit since 2006 and also serves as a key data relay station for other Mars missions.<br /><br />Equipped with a powerful camera called HiRISE that has aided in a number of discoveries, the MRO has sent back thousands of stunning images of the Martian surface that are helping scientists learn more about Mars, including the history of water flows on or near the planet's surface.<br /><br /><b>SEE ALSO:</b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/startup-fundraising-hits-an-8-month-low-in-february-falls-over-83-yoy/articleshow/98390347.cms">Startup fundraising hits an 8-month low in February, falls over 83% YoY</a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/lets-get-real-scientists-discover-a-new-way-climate-change-threatens-cold-blooded-animals/articleshow/98406756.cms">'Let's get real': scientists discover a new way climate change threatens cold-blooded animals</a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/iisc-researchers-show-chemically-modified-nanosheets-are-effective-for-biomedical-applications/articleshow/98406708.cms">IISc researchers show chemically-modified nanosheets are effective for biomedical applications</a></b><br />

NASA spacecraft captures unusual circles of sand dunes on Mars

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.uahirise.org/releases/rsl/">NASA/JPL/University of Arizona</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>When NASA recently announced the discovery of liquid water on Mars, the location of this water is what intrigued some scientists the most.</p><p>These water flows are related to unique features on Mars called recurring slope linae (RSL) - identified in the photo to the right - that pop up in a handful of locations near and along the Martian equator.</p><p>As it turns out, the Curiosity rover is within driving distance of a mountain called Mount Sharp, which might contain these RSLs - though their presence has not yet been confirmed at that spot. Even more exciting is that Curiosity could scoop up samples and analyze them in far greater detail than the satellites that scientists have been using so far.</p><p>"If we decide it's safe to go up and touch one, basically the whole rover is full of equipment that is designed to figure out composition and mineralogy of materials on Mars," Ashwin Vasavada, who is the project scientist for Curiosity, told Business Insider. "We could do a nice job of understanding the chemistry of what's going on."</p><p>There are still many questions about these RSLs that need answers, such as where this water is coming from. Is it groundwater or melting frost? Curiosity could help answer some of these questions, but there is a big problem.</p><h2>An unavoidable risk and a difficult challenge</h2><p>As Vasavada says, NASA must first decide if it's safe for the rover to approach these features for scientific analyses. However, it's not the rover's safety NASA is worried about - it's the planet Mars. And right now NASA's planetary protection officer, Cassie Conley, is <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/meet-the-martians?mbid=rss">trying to figure out</a> if Mars and its flowing water is safe from contamination.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiosity_%28rover%29#mediaviewer/File:PIA16239_High-Resolution_Self-Portrait_by_Curiosity_Rover_Arm_Camera.jpg"> NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems Derivative work </a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Conley's role as NASA's planetary protection officer is to safeguard Mars - and any other alien surface NASA chooses to visit - from contamination by Earth-based microorganisms. There is so much life on Earth that it is impossible to sterilize any lander completely, and it's Conley's job to figure out just how much contamination is acceptable.</p><p>The problem is that Curiosity has been on the Martian surface for over 3 years, so no one knows if the small amount of bacteria that contaminated it on launch day are still alive. And because no one knows, that means Vasavada and the rest of the rover team can't go near these RSLs for risk of contaminating future searches for the potential for life- at least until the problem is solved.</p><p>And it's going to be a difficult one to tackle because NASA can't simply swab Curiosity's instruments because, well, it's on Mars, and unfortunately no swab stick is that long. So, scientists will have to take the same types and amounts of bacteria that were on Curiosity when it launched and expose them to conditions akin to what's on Mars.</p><p>"Curiosity has been on Mars now for more than 3 years and a lot of the rover has been exposed to ultraviolet light and the dryness of Mars," Vasavada told Business Insider. "It would be a pretty challenging study to work through how Curiosity may have been cleaned just by being in the harsh environment of Mars."</p><h2>What Curiosity can contribute right now</h2><p>Even if such an analysis proves that Curiosity is too dirty to approach these RSLs, the rover could still contribute to this area of research, Vasavada said, with its camera.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=pia19839">NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS</a></span></p><p class="caption">A view from the "Kimberley" formation on Mars where scientists found evidence of ancient lakes. Photo was taken by Curiosity rover.</p></div><p></p></div></div>"One thing that Curiosity can do is to image these potential RSLs," he said. "Even without going up to them super close, we have a telephoto lens camera that once we get a little closer than we are now, it will actually get higher resolution images than what we can do from orbiters."</p><p>That's very important, because the features on Mount Sharp are too small for orbiters to see - which is why scientists haven't managed to confirm or disprove whether the features in question are RSLs or something else. Curiosity's camera could help solve that mystery.</p><p>As for the potential for life and Curiosity's ability to detect it within these features, Vasavada is skeptical.</p><p>"The water would be quite salty and perhaps too salty to offer a good environment for life," he said. Moreover, the instruments on board Curiosity can identify the chemistry of Martian soil but not necessarily the detection of living organisms, Vasavada said. NASA's Mars 2020 rover, however, will have instruments on board that can detect life.</p><p>When it comes to hunting for evidence for life on Mars, Vasavada is more interested in the ancient lakes on Mars than these RSLs. Vasavada and the Curiosity team <a href="http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4734">recently confirmed</a> the existence of these ancient lakes in the region where Curiosity is currently located.</p><p>"We can't forget that 3.5 billion years ago there were giant fresh water lakes that lasted millions of years," he said. "That is even a more fantastic environment to think of the possibility of life."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/carl-zimmer-contaminating-mars-bacteria-viruses-earth-2015-10">If life exists on Mars, it could pose a problem for our exploration of the planet</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="lwdTcyeDpUTqolRQBKiMsOvqHxXrqiyI" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

You Searched For "mars frost discovery" and got 4 results

Scientists have found frost on Mars’ volcano peaks, enough to fill 60 Olympic-sized swimming pools!

Kunal Kambli

UP, Bihar towns on Mars? Indian scientists name newly discovered Martian craters Mursan and Hilsa

Ashmita Gupta

NASA spacecraft captures unusual circles of sand dunes on Mars

IANS

How the discovery of liquid water on Mars could change the Curiosity rover's mission

Jessica Orwig

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