12 Strangest Things Found on Mars
Miscellaneous / / April 04, 2023
Perfect berries, a tadpole visible from orbit, and traces of a huge worm.
1. Blueberry
No, of course not one that can be eaten. Just once, in 2004, the NASA Opportunity rover discovered‘Blueberries’ on Mars Have a Watery Past. But Scientists Are Still Baffled / Space strange round pebbles on the surface of the Red Planet. They had a specific dark blue color due to the high iron content and an unusual, very regular spherical shape.
Where perfectly round hematite-rich stones appeared on Mars, scientists still understand can notThe Enduring Mystery of the Martian 'Blueberries' Discovered by Opportunity Rover / Gizmodo. On Earth such are formed due to the wind and water that grind them. But on Mars there is clearly not enough liquid, and the wind there is rather weak. So the question is still unanswered.
2. Slugs
Look at these mysterious objectsThe Dark Dunes of Mars / Universe Today, photographs of which were sent by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. What do you think it is? Giant
slugs, crawling on the surface of the Red Planet - so huge that they can be seen from space?No, it's just sand dunes. They formedDark Dune Fields of Proctor Crater, Mars / NASA due to the effect of wind on the Martian soil, which exposesMartian dunes under the microscope / Discover Magazine its lower layers, composed of gray basal sand. For the first time, such unusual dunes were seen in Proctor Crater by Mariner 9.
3. Noodles
In July 2022, NASA's Perseverance rover discoveredImages of EDL Debris / NASA Mars some object on the planet noodle-like. Found "spaghetti" even interested homegrown ufologists in social networks. They thought we had finally found the aliens. Well, or the products of their vital activity.
For a while, everyone wondered what this strange thing was, until NASA came along and ruined all the fun. It turned outImages of EDL Debris / NASA Marsthat this is a grid fragment from the EDL lander that brought the rover to the surface of the Red Planet. The module itself crashed, and its wreckage scattered around. Snapshot of a piece of EDL safety net and photographed by Perseverance.
4. Saxaul
NASA Curiosity rover once foundSol 3474: Mast Camera (Mastcam) / NASA Mars Exploration on mars a couple of branches. No, seriously, look at the photo and tell me, it's definitely them. Did trees once grow on the Red Planet and their petrified remains can still be found while walking there?
No, unfortunately that's not the case at all. Education is It hasNASA Rover Spots Surreal ‘Spikes’ on Mars / CNET purely geological nature. Long ago, a viscous, dense substance from the Martian soil filled the cracks in the sedimentary rocks and froze there.
Over time, the softer layers were destroyed by erosion, and a “cemented” piece similar to a branch remained. Here is such an artistic mold casting from the Martian mother nature.
5. Flower
Sometimes more complex and beautiful forms appear on the Red Planet. For example, this one sampleNASA Rover Spots Unreal Mars ‘Flower’ Formation / CNET looks like a frozen flower or coral. It is very tiny, about the size of a coin, and appeared as a result of the precipitation of minerals from the liquid. But despite its size, the "coral" proves that there used to be water on Mars.
6. Doorway
May 7, 2022 Curiosity Camera filmedSol 3466: Mast Camera (Mastcam) / NASA Mars Exploration on Mars, indisputable evidence of the existence of intelligent life there is an unusual opening in the rock. Obviously, this door leads to underground tunnels! Now it's clear why we're still not met Martians: they live in the bowels of the planet, rising up only occasionally!
Okay, we're just joking. Although the Martian "door" caused[deleted by user] / space numerous disputes and discussions among fans of extraterrestrial life, boring NASA declaredSorry, NASA Didn't Spot a Secret Doorway on Mars / CNETthat this is just a niche in the rock, which appeared due to erosion.
7. Angel
This shot didDreaming of a red Christmas: Festive features spotted near Mars' south pole / ESA The European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter flying over the south pole of the Red Planet. ESA published the photo in their December 2020 Best Images issue, and it featured the figure of an angel and a heart next to it.
In fact, this natural pattern appearedDreaming of a red Christmas: Festive features spotted near Mars' south pole / ESAwhen a meteorite crashed into the ice cap at the pole of Mars. The crater became the head of the "angel", and the upturned dark red soil formed its body.
8. Peanut
This geological formation was photographed by the cameras of the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and scientists called the object Mr. Peanuts.
It appeared because the round meteorite pits in the south polar cap of Mars are filled with cold carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. And when it condenses are obtainedMr. Peanut (ESP_067961_0925) / HiRISE such correct "lakes" from the fog.
9. morse code
Dunes similar to the previously mentioned slugs attracted the attention of NASA employee Veronica Bray, who, for fun suggested1. Martian Morse Code / NASA
2. There's a Secret Message Written Into the Sands of Mars / Gizmodo, What is this morse code. Judge for yourself: long and short dark sandy stripes interspersed like dots and dashes.
Bray deciphered the "message", but, unfortunately, the aliens did not write anything meaningful. The result was gibberish: "NEE NED ZB 6TNN DEIBEDH SIEFI EBEEE SSIEI ESEE SEEE!!"
10. Tadpole
This crater notableCrater Tadpoles / NASA not only with its shape, reminiscent of a tadpole. The history of its formation is also interesting. The valley - the same “tail” - appeared due to the impact of water on the Martian soil. And the crater serves as proof that a river once flowed there.
11. Ant farm
This image of the south pole of Mars didThe Coolest Landscape on Mars (or Earth) / NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2016. And most of all, the things on it look like the tracks of giant worms that can be seen from orbit, or a huge space formic farm.
The strange shape of the polar cap is explained by the fact that the dry ice that forms it is made of carbon dioxide. And it is deposited on the surface of Mars unevenly.
12. Labyrinth of the night
This is a huge plateau covered with boulders, sediments and sand dunes, which together formTrippy NASA image shows dramatic Mars mesa / CNET bizarre phenomenon. The complex shape evokes a variety of associations, but most of all resembles a soul mate eggsin which the embryo has just begun to develop.
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