Mars Hills, Crater Yield Evidence of Flowing Water

[0rion]

By Gina Keating

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The hills of Mars yielded more tantalizing clues about how water shaped the Red Planet in tests by NASA's robotic geologist, Spirit, while its twin, Opportunity, observed the deep crater it climbed into two months ago, scientists said on Wednesday.

Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California said Spirit discovered a swath of bedrock that showed signs of being altered by water and may yield clues about the planet's primordial atmosphere.

Scientist believe the bedrock was thrust up from below the lava-covered surface of the vast Gusev Crater, where Spirit landed Jan. 3 and spent months crossing to arrive at a series of promontories dubbed the Columbia Hills.

Mars Hills, Crater Yield Evidence of Flowing Water

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. Surely it would be more accurate to say "liquid"

Particularly since water freezes at such cold temperatures and they can't be sure it wasn't rivers of some other liquid.

Nonetheless, it is interesting.

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[Liberal Veteran]

2. The theory is that Mars was once MUCH warmer than today.

So water would be the natural culprit.

[aquart]

3. Back before Mars lost its atmosphere.

Velikovsky lives!

[sofa king]

4. It tickles me that those little guys are still running.

They're getting a little creaky, but they've doubled their design lifetimes and neither looks as if its going to quit anytime soon.

Looks like my engineer friends were right: "better, cheaper, faster: pick any two out of the three and you have a winner."