Puddles on Mars: NASAWATCH says... AvWeek

[j05h]

NASAWATCH says that AvLeak says: " According to an item first posted by Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine: "NASA is ready to announce major new findings about the presence of water currently emerging onto the surface of Mars." <br /><br />You heard it hear third.<br /><br />http://www.nasawatch.com/archives/2006/12/aviation_week_e_1.html<br /><br />People have been seeing potential pools of liquid on Mars for years, some were quite obviously not dune fields or similiar. This is hopefully going to be big news. <br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[qso1]

I remember seeing tracks left behind the Sojourner rover on the pathfinder mission. The tracks appeared almost as though they were wet mud. If this announcement is about significant water present at the surface of mars, I won't be suprised.<br /><br />I will definetely be pleased. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[docm]

The only thing cooler would be three-toed footprints <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

That would be a mars shaking announcement if confirmed. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[dragon04]

How cool would <b>this</b> be? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[rocketman5000]

very

 

[dreada5]

http://www.livescience.com/blogs/author/leonarddavid

 

[j05h]

A couple of links related to this, as we move toward tomorrow's 1pm press breifing:<br /><br />http://www.marsroverblog.com/discuss-44343-nasa-briefing-current-water-on-mars.html<br /><br />http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2006/12/05/mars-doesnt-read-our-textbooks<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[vonster]

Wow.<br /><br />

 

[dreada5]

If liquid water has been spotted on mars, wouldn't that mean that the landing sites of the next landers may need to be reconsidered?

 

[MeteorWayne]

AFAIK, no landing sites have been chosen yet. That's part of what the purpose of MRO is, finding the next best location. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

News conference under way on NASA TV <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[dreada5]

The following space.com story may be good background reading if you've just watched the press conference.<br /><br />http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mars_aquifer_041112.html

 

[spacefire]

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/main/index.html <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[josh_simonson]

I saw some photos that had some blue shading around the gully thing, looks like an attempt to dumb down the image so people see 'water'. See http://drudgereport.com/mars.jpg<br /><br />It kind of looks like puddles, but the white streak is supposed to be the evidence of 'water'. <br /><br />This doesn't seem at all conclusive to me, the rovers drove through soil that got lighter when disturbed, but it didn't mean it was wet...

 

[dreada5]

I don't know about "rovers drove through soil that got lighter when disturbed". <br /><br />They said disturbed soil had usually (if not always) revealed a darker material underneath. But anyway, I think they were trying to emphasize yesterday (its thurs morn where I am) that they still aren't 100% certain that it is water. But based on their models its more likely now. <br /><br />Wonder what astronauts will find when we go to mars and start deep drilling in these areas?!

 

[cuddlyrocket]

It's not the fact that the disturbed soil is lighter than is being taken as evidence for water flowing, it's the fact that the change in colour shows the soil has been disturbed and the <i>pattern</i> of disturbance shows that it was caused by liquid flow. (Anybody can easily disturb soil with a hose, or by running a vehicle over it. The patterns are distinct, even to a novice.)<br /><br />It's not definite what the liquid was. It could be water, but liquid carbon dioxide is also suggested.

 

[paulanderson]

That's right, it's the type of flow patterns that indicate liquid. And the bright deposits are most likely composed of salts or ice / frost left over after the water evaporated.<br /><br />The MSSS overview covers all this:<br /><br />http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2006/12/06/gullies/index.html<br /><br />The bright soil the rovers churned up wasn't wet, but it was composed of evaporate salts, also left over from earlier liquid water (although much longer ago in that case).

 

[j05h]

<i>> I don't know about "rovers drove through soil that got lighter when disturbed". </i><br /><br />Actually, the rovers have scraped up some stretches of very bright material in their regolith. Check out pictures from HortonHeardAWho:<br /><br />http://www.flickr.com/photos/hortonheardawho/178704775/<br /><br />http://www.flickr.com/photos/hortonheardawho/163877765/<br /><br />I think that drilling will be unneccessary in the right Mars locale. Many parts of Mars are at atmospheric saturation near the ground. You'll find that spreading out a heat absorbing (black) tent with collection tubes (like the Tom Brown trashbag survival technique, but bigger) will rpoduce all the water you need. <br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>