ridingwithrobots
Secrets in the Labyrinth of Night
The criss-crossing spiderweb of canyons on Mars called Noctis Labyrinthus (the “labyrinth of night”) not only has the coolest place name in the entire solar system—it also boasts a richer assortment of water-related minerals than almost any place on Mars.
Explorers studying the Red Planet used sensitive instruments on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to peer deep into the labyrinth, and they have found a striking variety of minerals on the canyon’s floor. In findings published in this month’s issue of Geology, scientists from the Planetary Science Institute report that groundwater, hydrothermal activity, and melting snow or ice are all plausible sources for the water that created these minerals.
“These places were potentially habitable zones for life,” they wrote. Of course, this was billions of years in the past, but it adds another intriguing page to the story as Mars slowly yields up its secrets. Could there have been life in this labyrinth?
Learn more on the awesome Red Planet Report.
Sent by: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter | From: Mars | Credit: NASA/JPL/MSSS | Added to Riding with Robots on September 19, 2011
Secrets in the Labyrinth of Night
The criss-crossing spiderweb of canyons on Mars called Noctis Labyrinthus (the “labyrinth of night”) not only has the coolest place name in the entire solar system—it also boasts a richer assortment of water-related minerals than almost any place on Mars.
Explorers studying the Red Planet used sensitive instruments on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to peer deep into the labyrinth, and they have found a striking variety of minerals on the canyon’s floor. In findings published in this month’s issue of Geology, scientists from the Planetary Science Institute report that groundwater, hydrothermal activity, and melting snow or ice are all plausible sources for the water that created these minerals.
“These places were potentially habitable zones for life,” they wrote. Of course, this was billions of years in the past, but it adds another intriguing page to the story as Mars slowly yields up its secrets. Could there have been life in this labyrinth?
Learn more on the awesome Red Planet Report.
Sent by: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter | From: Mars | Credit: NASA/JPL/MSSS | Added to Riding with Robots on September 19, 2011