Scenes from the Martian Arctic
EmailSome years ago I flew in a helicopter over the tundra near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and the first thought that came to mind was that it looked like Mars. The ground was frozen, broken into strange, giant polygons, apparently formed by the ice beneath it, expanding and contracting as it froze and thawed and froze again. Last night I looked at the first images of the polar north on Mars, shot by the Phoenix Lander, and the first thought that came to mind was that it looked like Prudhoe Bay. The ground was frozen, made of strange, giant polygons, apparently formed by the ice beneath it, expanding and contracting as it froze and thawed and froze again.
You do not have to stretch to make this analogy. In 2002 a NASA orbiter, Mars Odyssey, showed that the Martian polar regions, unlike the rest of the planet, had frozen water mixed in with the soil. Mars is far colder today than Earth, but the scientists on the Phoenix team remarked that the polygons they saw on Mars were probably formed the same way as the ones near the Arctic Ocean. There are other forces at work, of course, but still — two worlds, 170 million miles apart, where very similar things are happening. Mars, as the twin rovers showed in 2004, once had standing water on its surface, though it’s long gone from the sites near the equator where they landed. There’s been climate change there, as on Earth, though for different reasons. Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, the Principal Investigator for Mars Phoenix Lander, says the tilt of Mars’ axis has been the largest factor. Take a look at the raw images from the Phoenix ship; you can find them HERE and HERE. It looks so desolate, but it may be the friendliest place on Mars we’ve yet seen. The rovers drove across bone-dry ground; Phoenix probably has ice just a few feet beneath its landing legs. If — and this is the point of the mission — the ship finds organic compounds in the soil, that plus water make for an intriguing mix. NASA’s posted a useful primer on water and life HERE. We’re right back to Steve Squyres’ point from my previous post: is life special? Or does it just take root wherever conditions are friendly enough? The Phoenix probe landed 68 degrees north of the Martian equator. Prudhoe Bay is 70 degrees north of the Earth’s equator. Just a coincidence. (Mars Phoenix image via NASA. Prudhoe Bay image from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)
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Thank yoy for this news.
Posted by: Roger A. Lessard | May 26, 2008, 2:35 pm 2:35 pm
I’d be interested in the samples of frozen water brought back to earth to see if there are any once celled creatures.
Posted by: ChayaFradle | May 26, 2008, 2:38 pm 2:38 pm
I hope the media will ask John McCain why the governor of his home state, Fife Symington, gave an interview last fall where he said, and I quote, “some form of an Alien spacecraft flew over Phoenix. Former Arizona Governor Fife Symington was responding to the Phoenix Lights UFO incident that occurred in March, 1997. Why did the Republican governor of Arizona (of all people) make such an out-there comment? Was Sen. McCain briefed by the Pentagon on this Alien space craft fly over? You can do an internet search for Fife Symington Phoenix Lights to bring up the nationwide TV inerview of Symington where he unequivocally states that an ‘Alien spacecraft’ flew over Phoenix (his words, not mine). John McCain should explain to the American people what he knows about this event.
Posted by: Think | May 26, 2008, 3:55 pm 3:55 pm
Simply awesome.
Posted by: Ben Straub | May 26, 2008, 3:59 pm 3:59 pm
Who cares about this? NASA is a useless organization. This info has no relevance to Americans here on earth. The billions $$$$ spent could have been used long ago to make us much less dependent on foreign oil. Wake Up!
Posted by: Tony | May 26, 2008, 8:53 pm 8:53 pm
This is a great accomplishment for NASA, and I applaud the USA for being on the frontier of exploration of our solar system, science and technology. Now is it would just apply some measure of enthusiasm for the arts and humanities. But kudos to the good folk at NASA. You, and all of the supporters of this program, have accomplished something of great significance, that we will more fully realize in the course of time.
Posted by: Justinteim | May 26, 2008, 9:07 pm 9:07 pm
For those of you who agree with the previous comment “Who cares about this? NASA is a useless organization. This info has no relevance to Americans here on earth. The billions $$$$ spent could have been used long ago to make us much less dependent on foreign oil. Wake Up!”.. Take note where most of all the new technology (fuel cells, solar cells, hydrogen energy etc.) came from… THE SPACE PROGRAM!!! NASA has developed countless technologies and its the private sectors job to use them.
Posted by: Pete | May 27, 2008, 11:14 am 11:14 am
Anyone stating that they have no use for NASA or the space and aeronautical programs it supports is obviously coming from a position of ignorance or indifference, or both. Usually they have a closed mind and attempting to inject them with knowledge only results in frustration on your part. If they really cared to understand they would go to the NASA web at nasa.gov to learn about all of the great things NASA has done for this nation and the world. Obviously they are not willing to understand that NASA gets less than 1% of the national budget and yet the welfare system gobbles up over 35%. yet they don’t seem to make a gripe or compartison of that figure. Look at the technologies NASA is responsible for and look at what welfare has been responsible for….need I say more?
Posted by: kscqc | May 27, 2008, 9:22 pm 9:22 pm
NASA is not useless. Satellites send communications and TV, warn of weather, monitor climate, and spy on enemies.
As far as finding more oil maybe if we/you didn’t drive monster SUV’s long distances to work we wouldn’t need so much oil?
Posted by: Steve Courton | May 29, 2008, 7:29 am 7:29 am
PETE!
The first fuel cell was conceived by Sir William Robert Grove, a Welsh judge.
A French scientist Edmond Becquerel discoverd the photovoltaic effect.
Francis Thomas Bacon, A British engineer developed the first practical hydrogen – oxygen fuel cell.
GOD invented hydrogen energy!
Posted by: dave | June 3, 2008, 1:45 am 1:45 am
I’m on the “who cares” side. Rather than debating if this is really water, let’s assume that they found the equivalent of Lake Erie on Mars – great – now what ? You gonna build a house there? I DO believe a lot of NASA is now just a jobs program ( let’s see LBJ … Houston … wonder if any politics there?) but rather than dissolving it, how about we redirect their efforts to energy alternatives ? Earth has enough problems to keep them busy. I though Bush 41 should have given a speech after the Gukf War similiar to JFK ” going to the moon speech”. Challange that by end of decade cars running on gas alternative – oh wait – he’s from Texas – can’t do that. I’m not a Bush- wacker as Clinton wasn’t (isn’t)any better. We need to get ‘politicians’ out of government.
Posted by: Bob | June 22, 2008, 3:21 pm 3:21 pm