Scientists may have identified what might be the best place to look for life on Mars. This is Russell Crater located in the southern hemisphere of Mars
Avi Blizovsky
Russell Crater - above, and mudslides from Adimaia below
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Scientists may have identified what might be the best place to look for life on Mars. This is Russell Crater located in the southern hemisphere of Mars.
Observations of the area were made during the fall and spring seasons, when the ice covers the dunes and recedes, meaning liquid water may be on the surface at different times of the year. Detailed analyzes suggest that this water can mix with the ground and create frequent mudslides.
"The water we believe is there can make the place the best place so far where it's worth digging the surface in search of life." said the German researcher Dr. Dennis Reiss.
"There are unusual formations in Russell Crater, formations reminiscent of mudslides on Earth," said Dr. Reiss of the German Aerospace Center. He began studying high-resolution images received from the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft that has been orbiting Mars for several years. He came to the conclusion that the mudslides are most likely the youngest formation on Mars, perhaps it is formed from time to time actually these days.
In particular, Dr. Rice examined the temperature on the surface as well as the level of sunlight reflection, and in fact the albedo. These two variables taught him a lot about what might be inside the dunes. The albedo indicates whether the surface is frozen or thawed, and the temperature measurement gives clues about the types of ice and liquids present in the ground.
When winter comes to Russell Crater, drops of water and carbon dioxide from the thin atmosphere of Mars concentrate in the crater and freeze on the dunes. The albedo and the temperature reading indicate that during the spring thaw, the carbon dioxide turns back into a gas while the liquid water remains in the soil. "It is possible that we will find water literally a few centimeters below the surface, maybe even on the surface," said Dr. Reiss. Instead, for at least a few hours each day, right in the summer afternoons, liquid water can be found on the surface of Mars. This option entices life seekers. They believe that life will be found on Mars where they find water. In any case, none of the spacecraft that will be sent to Mars in the coming months even come close to Russell Crater. The European Beagle 2 will land on the Isidis plain, about 10 degrees north of the equator. The site was chosen so that it would be warm enough for Beagle to admire and low enough to allow the spacecraft's parachutes to land it safely. The two US SUVs that will also be launched during July will land near the equator, at two points opposite each other. Dennis Rice and Ralph Yeoman published their work on Russell Crater in Geographical Research Letters.
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