Mars spiders piqued scientists' interest in 2003. Now, a team at NASA/JPL has simulated their formation to explain their existence.
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, acquired May 13, 2018 during winter at the South Pole of Mars, shows a carbon dioxide ice cap covering the region and as the sun returns in the spring,"Mars spiders" begin to emerge from the landscape. Credit: NASA
Since carbon dioxide is common on Mars, scientists figured it had something to do with creating these weird formations. They used the “Kieffer model” to delve into the history of Mars spiders. That model explains how carbon dioxide ice slabs under the surface trap gas as it sublimates , usually during southern hemisphere spring.
Not that it’s easy to replicate Mars on Earth, even in strict laboratory conditions. For Mc Keown and her team, the hardest part was re-creating conditions found on the Martian polar surface. That region experiences extremely low air pressure. Seasonal changes bring the air and surface temperatures down to a chilly -301 degrees Fahrenheit . To make it work, the team used a liquid-nitrogen-cooled test chamber at JPL—the Dirty Under-vacuum Simulation Testbed for Icy Environments, or DUSTIE.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NASA Scientists Re-Create Mars ‘Spiders’ in a Lab for First TimeTests on Earth appear to confirm how the Red Planet’s spider-shaped geologic formations are carved by carbon dioxide.
Read more »
NASA scientists recreate Mars's spider-shaped geologic formations in lab for the first timeTests on Earth appear to confirm how the red planet's spider-shaped geologic formations are carved by carbon dioxide.
Read more »
NASA recreated Mars’ iconic ‘spiders’ in a lab for the first time everNASA has recreated Mars' iconic 'spiders' in a first-of-its-kind lab experiment, and you can watch it happen in this video.
Read more »
NASA Can Finally Explain Why Creepy 'Spiders' on Mars Keep AppearingThe Best in Science News and Amazing Breakthroughs
Read more »
From Gaza to Mars: Loay Elbasyouni's journey with NASA's Mars HelicopterJoin us as we talk with Loay Elbasyouni, one of the key engineer who helped build NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. Hear about his journey from Gaza to NASA and his visions for the future of space exploration.
Read more »
From Gaza to Mars: Loay Elbasyouni’s journey with NASA’s Mars HelicopterDiscover the amazing story of Loay Elbasyouni, a former NASA engineer who helped build the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter.
Read more »