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So there IS life on Mars....
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So there IS life on Mars....
bb1 Mon Sep 28, 2015 5:38 pm
http://news.sky.com/story/1560377/flowing-water-present-on-mars-say-scientists
Flowing Water Present On Mars, Say Scientists
17:32, UK, Monday 28 September 2015
Flowing liquid water, essential to life, is almost certainly present on Mars, scientists believe.
Experts think water is responsible for mysterious features on Mars that change with the seasons.
A new high resolution technique has revealed gully-like features at four locations, known as recurring slope lineae (RSL), contain salt minerals that precipitate from briny water.
The salts, which are not found in the surrounding terrain, are thought to have been left by water flowing down the sides of hills or crater rims.
If the discovery is confirmed it has far-reaching implications for the chances of finding life on Mars and future human exploration
Writing in the journal Nature Geoscience, the scientists concluded: "Our findings strongly support the hypothesis that recurring slope lineae form as a result of contemporary water activity on Mars.
"Water is essential to life as we know it. The presence of liquid water on Mars today has astrobiological, geologic and hydrologic implications and may affect future human exploration."
The research is based on an analysis of images taken from the American space agency NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft.
Studying the different wavelengths of reflected light gives a chemical "fingerprint" of what a substance is made up of.
The Mars scientists developed an enhanced technique that allowed chemical signatures to be taken from individual image pixels, providing a much higher level of resolution than could previously be achieved.
The researchers detected signatures of hydrated minerals on slopes where darkish streaks on the Red planet appeared to ebb and flow over time.
John Grunsfeld, astronaut and associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, said: "Our quest on Mars has been to ‘follow the water,’ in our search for life in the universe, and now we have convincing science that validates what we’ve long suspected.
"This is a significant development, as it appears to confirm that water - albeit briny - is flowing today on the surface of Mars."
PhD student Lujendra Ojha, from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, who was the lead author of the report, said the findings were further proof that the lines on the Martian slopes were caused by present-day water.
He said: "When most people talk about water on Mars, they're usually talking about ancient water or frozen water.
"Now we know there’s more to the story. This is the first spectral detection that unambiguously supports our liquid water-formation hypotheses for RSL."
Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, said: "It took multiple spacecraft over several years to solve this mystery, and now we know there is liquid water on the surface of this cold, desert planet."
Flowing Water Present On Mars, Say Scientists
17:32, UK, Monday 28 September 2015
Flowing liquid water, essential to life, is almost certainly present on Mars, scientists believe.
Experts think water is responsible for mysterious features on Mars that change with the seasons.
A new high resolution technique has revealed gully-like features at four locations, known as recurring slope lineae (RSL), contain salt minerals that precipitate from briny water.
The salts, which are not found in the surrounding terrain, are thought to have been left by water flowing down the sides of hills or crater rims.
If the discovery is confirmed it has far-reaching implications for the chances of finding life on Mars and future human exploration
Writing in the journal Nature Geoscience, the scientists concluded: "Our findings strongly support the hypothesis that recurring slope lineae form as a result of contemporary water activity on Mars.
"Water is essential to life as we know it. The presence of liquid water on Mars today has astrobiological, geologic and hydrologic implications and may affect future human exploration."
The research is based on an analysis of images taken from the American space agency NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft.
Studying the different wavelengths of reflected light gives a chemical "fingerprint" of what a substance is made up of.
The Mars scientists developed an enhanced technique that allowed chemical signatures to be taken from individual image pixels, providing a much higher level of resolution than could previously be achieved.
The researchers detected signatures of hydrated minerals on slopes where darkish streaks on the Red planet appeared to ebb and flow over time.
John Grunsfeld, astronaut and associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, said: "Our quest on Mars has been to ‘follow the water,’ in our search for life in the universe, and now we have convincing science that validates what we’ve long suspected.
"This is a significant development, as it appears to confirm that water - albeit briny - is flowing today on the surface of Mars."
PhD student Lujendra Ojha, from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, who was the lead author of the report, said the findings were further proof that the lines on the Martian slopes were caused by present-day water.
He said: "When most people talk about water on Mars, they're usually talking about ancient water or frozen water.
"Now we know there’s more to the story. This is the first spectral detection that unambiguously supports our liquid water-formation hypotheses for RSL."
Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, said: "It took multiple spacecraft over several years to solve this mystery, and now we know there is liquid water on the surface of this cold, desert planet."
bb1- Slayer of scums
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lily- Slayer of scums
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Re: So there IS life on Mars....
bb1 Mon Sep 28, 2015 8:01 pm
It's amazing, Lily, and the implications are astounding.
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Re: So there IS life on Mars....
lily Mon Sep 28, 2015 8:07 pm
Truly. You can imagine that research into that will be going ahead full steam as we speak?
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Re: So there IS life on Mars....
bb1 Mon Sep 28, 2015 8:12 pm
I hope so, Lily - I just hope they don't discover that actual Martians are living inside the planet, like Total Recall...
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Re: So there IS life on Mars....
bb1 Thu Oct 08, 2015 6:44 pm
The Solar System is livelier than we thought....
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/nasa-announcement-pluto-has-blue-skies-and-water-ice-agency-says-as-it-reveals-stunning-pictures-of-a6686646.html
Nasa has unveiled the first colour pictures of the haze that surrounds Pluto, along with pictures of patches of water ice on the dwarf planet.
The reveal drew early attention this week as the leader of the New Horizons mission said there would be an “amazing” announcement. Alan Stern described the planet as “alive” — prompting many to hope for a big announcement today.
The colour pictures show for the first time that the hazes are a bright blue.
READ MORE
Pluto's landscape so complex that Nasa scientists aren't sure how it got there
“Who would have expected a blue sky in the Kuiper Belt? It’s gorgeous,” said Alan Stern New Horizons principal investigator from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Boulder, Colorado, in a statement.
More at link.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/nasa-announcement-pluto-has-blue-skies-and-water-ice-agency-says-as-it-reveals-stunning-pictures-of-a6686646.html
Nasa has unveiled the first colour pictures of the haze that surrounds Pluto, along with pictures of patches of water ice on the dwarf planet.
The reveal drew early attention this week as the leader of the New Horizons mission said there would be an “amazing” announcement. Alan Stern described the planet as “alive” — prompting many to hope for a big announcement today.
The colour pictures show for the first time that the hazes are a bright blue.
READ MORE
Pluto's landscape so complex that Nasa scientists aren't sure how it got there
“Who would have expected a blue sky in the Kuiper Belt? It’s gorgeous,” said Alan Stern New Horizons principal investigator from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Boulder, Colorado, in a statement.
More at link.
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Re: So there IS life on Mars....
lily Thu Oct 08, 2015 7:30 pm
That is mind blowing. Yes, who would have expected a blue sky in the Kuiper Belt?
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Re: So there IS life on Mars....
bb1 Thu Oct 08, 2015 8:00 pm
So, that's two planets with the building blocks of life on them within travelling distance of Earth - I doubt very much if we are alone in the universe.
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Re: So there IS life on Mars....
lily Thu Oct 08, 2015 8:02 pm
Bonny, I have always thought we are not. It has simply been unfortunate that there have been some arrogant people who have stated we were all there was.
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Re: So there IS life on Mars....
bb1 Fri Oct 09, 2015 3:32 pm
More about Mars:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mars-lakes-have-been-around-for-long-enough-to-support-life-nasa-s-curiosity-probe-shows-a6687946.html
Dark, narrow, 100 meter-long streaks called recurring slope lineae flowing downhill on Mars, inferred to have been formed by contemporary flowing water Getty Images
A crater on Mars had water in it that stayed there for up to 10,000 years — long enough that it could have supported life.
Rock formations seen in new photographs from the Nasa Curiosity rover show that a water system of lakes and deltas was spread across the Gale Crater, which the rover is currently exploring....more at link.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mars-lakes-have-been-around-for-long-enough-to-support-life-nasa-s-curiosity-probe-shows-a6687946.html
Dark, narrow, 100 meter-long streaks called recurring slope lineae flowing downhill on Mars, inferred to have been formed by contemporary flowing water Getty Images
A crater on Mars had water in it that stayed there for up to 10,000 years — long enough that it could have supported life.
Rock formations seen in new photographs from the Nasa Curiosity rover show that a water system of lakes and deltas was spread across the Gale Crater, which the rover is currently exploring....more at link.
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Re: So there IS life on Mars....
bb1 Sat Oct 17, 2015 8:38 pm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/34540449/bizarre-star-may-suggest-existence-of-alien-civilisation-say-scientists
Unusual light patterns created by a distant star may be a sign of alien life, scientists say.
The "bizarre" patterns are consistent with a "swarm of megastructures" in orbit, Jason Wright, an astronomer from Penn State University says.
He is set to publish his theory that these structures may indicate an "alien civilisation".
"We'd never seen anything like this star," says Tabetha Boyajian, a researcher at Yale told The Atlantic.
"It was really weird. We thought it might be bad data or movement on the spacecraft, but everything checked out
Her project, which uses data from the Kepler Space Telescope, involves "citizen scientists", volunteers who help them analyse the masses of information.
Several of them flagged this particular star, known as KIC 8462852, as having "interesting" or "bizarre" light patterns.
We thought it might be bad data or movement on the spacecraft, but everything checked out
Tabetha Boyajian
Postdoctoral researcher
These suggest that there are masses circling the star, a normal sight if the star is young. However, this star appears to be mature.
Boyajian has suggested some natural explanations for the structures, but admitted she was thinking about "other scenarios".
"When [Boyajian] showed me the data, I was fascinated by how crazy it looked," Wright said.
"Aliens should always be the very last hypothesis you consider, but this looked like something you would expect an alien civilization to build."
Along with other experts, the pair are writing up a proposal to investigate KIC 8462852 further.
The want to use a large radio dish to see if they can gather any radio waves from the star that might be at frequencies linked to technological activity.
If they do find these waves, the next step would be to ask for time using the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico.
They are hoping to make their first observations at the beginning of next year.
"If we saw something exciting, we could ask the director for special allotted time on the VLA," Wright said.
"And in that case, we'd be asking to go on right away.
Unusual light patterns created by a distant star may be a sign of alien life, scientists say.
The "bizarre" patterns are consistent with a "swarm of megastructures" in orbit, Jason Wright, an astronomer from Penn State University says.
He is set to publish his theory that these structures may indicate an "alien civilisation".
"We'd never seen anything like this star," says Tabetha Boyajian, a researcher at Yale told The Atlantic.
"It was really weird. We thought it might be bad data or movement on the spacecraft, but everything checked out
Her project, which uses data from the Kepler Space Telescope, involves "citizen scientists", volunteers who help them analyse the masses of information.
Several of them flagged this particular star, known as KIC 8462852, as having "interesting" or "bizarre" light patterns.
We thought it might be bad data or movement on the spacecraft, but everything checked out
Tabetha Boyajian
Postdoctoral researcher
These suggest that there are masses circling the star, a normal sight if the star is young. However, this star appears to be mature.
Boyajian has suggested some natural explanations for the structures, but admitted she was thinking about "other scenarios".
"When [Boyajian] showed me the data, I was fascinated by how crazy it looked," Wright said.
"Aliens should always be the very last hypothesis you consider, but this looked like something you would expect an alien civilization to build."
Along with other experts, the pair are writing up a proposal to investigate KIC 8462852 further.
The want to use a large radio dish to see if they can gather any radio waves from the star that might be at frequencies linked to technological activity.
If they do find these waves, the next step would be to ask for time using the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico.
They are hoping to make their first observations at the beginning of next year.
"If we saw something exciting, we could ask the director for special allotted time on the VLA," Wright said.
"And in that case, we'd be asking to go on right away.
bb1- Slayer of scums
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Re: So there IS life on Mars....
lily Sat Oct 17, 2015 8:56 pm
I heard about that a couple of days ago and all I can say is......OMG. That would be incredible if it is.
Hope the VLA gives positive results.
Hope the VLA gives positive results.
lily- Slayer of scums
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Re: So there IS life on Mars....
bb1 Sun Oct 18, 2015 2:20 pm
http://www.express.co.uk/news/science/612759/European-Russians-team-up-colonize-Moon
European and Russians to team up to COLONIZE the Moon
THE European and Russian space agencies have announced plans to join forces to build a permanent human settlement on the Moon.
By OLI SMITH
PUBLISHED: 15:57, Sat, Oct 17, 2015 | UPDATED: 17:00, Sat, Oct 17, 2015
The venture, named Luna 27, is set to launch its first mission in just five years time.
The first space trip will land on the previously unexplored South Pole of the Moon and assess whether there is water or any raw materials to create fuel and oxygen.
Researchers believe the uncharted side of the moon, parts of which are constantly shrouded in darkness, may contain ice.
Subsequent trips will then prepare for the return of humans to the surface and a permanent settlement.
Prof Igor Mitrofanov, of the Space Research Institute in Moscow, said: "We have to go to the Moon.
"The 21st Century will be the century when it will be the permanent outpost of human civilisation, and our country has to participate in this process."
He added that Russia will "have to work together with our international colleagues"....more at link.
Excellent!
European and Russians to team up to COLONIZE the Moon
THE European and Russian space agencies have announced plans to join forces to build a permanent human settlement on the Moon.
By OLI SMITH
PUBLISHED: 15:57, Sat, Oct 17, 2015 | UPDATED: 17:00, Sat, Oct 17, 2015
The venture, named Luna 27, is set to launch its first mission in just five years time.
The first space trip will land on the previously unexplored South Pole of the Moon and assess whether there is water or any raw materials to create fuel and oxygen.
Researchers believe the uncharted side of the moon, parts of which are constantly shrouded in darkness, may contain ice.
Subsequent trips will then prepare for the return of humans to the surface and a permanent settlement.
Prof Igor Mitrofanov, of the Space Research Institute in Moscow, said: "We have to go to the Moon.
"The 21st Century will be the century when it will be the permanent outpost of human civilisation, and our country has to participate in this process."
He added that Russia will "have to work together with our international colleagues"....more at link.
Excellent!
bb1- Slayer of scums
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lily- Slayer of scums
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