Agnostic Life Finding Association, Inc.’s Post

Abstract: "The present-day water cycle on Mars has implications for habitability and future human exploration. Water ice clouds and water vapour have been detected above the Tharsis volcanic province, suggesting the active exchange of water between regolith and atmosphere. Here we report observational evidence for extensive transient morning frost deposits on the calderas of the Tharsis volcanoes (Olympus, Arsia and Ascraeus Montes, and Ceraunius Tholus) using high-resolution colour images from the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System on board the European Space Agency’s Trace Gas Orbiter. The transient bluish deposits appear on the caldera floor and rim in the morning during the colder Martian seasons but are not present by afternoon. The presence of water frost is supported by spectral observations, as well as independent imagery from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter. Climate model simulations further suggest that early-morning surface temperatures at the high altitudes of the volcano calderas are sufficiently low to support the daily condensation of water—but not CO2—frost. Given the unlikely seasonal nature of volcanic outgassing, we suggest the observed frost is atmospheric in origin, implying the role of microclimate in local frost formation and a contribution to the broader Mars water cycle." Evidence for transient morning water frost deposits on the Tharsis volcanoes of Mars https://lnkd.in/egKSZwVh

Oh, how marvelous, water frost has been spotted on Mars volcanoes. Further proof of Mars' habitability. By all means, let's move forward with planetary exploration and colonization of Mars and beyond. But not at the expense of giving up on planet Earth - which is priceless, has so very much more to offer, and is not expendable. https://lnkd.in/efW99GK4 #space #mars #water | More: https://lnkd.in/e3PK6UsV

"The Red Planet" Captured on June 17, 2019 by the High Resolution Stereo Camera onboard European Space Agency - ESA’s Mars Express orbiter. Visible at the top of the frame is Mars’ north pole: this is permanently covered by a cap of frozen water and carbon dioxide, which thickens in the northern Martian winter and thins in the summer. Mars’ two hemispheres are very different in a number of ways. This split is known as the Martian dichotomy, and remains one of the greatest mysteries about the planet. The northern hemisphere sits several miles lower than the southern, and the two are separated by a distinctive, rugged boundary formed of canyons, cliffs and scarps, fractures, valleys, flat-topped mounds known as mesas, and many other features. The northern hemisphere is also characterized by low-lying plains that are largely unmarked by impact craters and thus thought to be relatively young, while the southern hemisphere is ancient, showing signs of intense cratering. This separation can be seen in the new image. Credit: ESA #space #esa #mars #technology

The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) successfully entered Mars' orbit on September 24, 2014, after a journey of over 300 days. This mission marked India's first interplanetary expedition, with an orbiter designed to travel around Mars in an elliptical orbit. MOM carried five scientific payloads, including cameras and sensors, to study Mars' upper atmosphere and analyze its chemical and mineralogical properties, sending valuable data back to Earth. Launched on November 5, 2013, MOM was powered by an advanced version of the four-stage PSLV-XL rocket. Notably, MOM was also India’s first interplanetary mission to have women scientists in key executive roles. Seetha Somasundaram, among others, served as Programme Director of the Space Science Office during Mangalyaan’s 2013 launch. #MarsOrbiterMission #Mangalyaan #ISRO #SpaceExploration #WomenInScience #InterplanetaryMission #MarsMission #IndianSpaceScience #sciencefilm #sciencefilmmaking #sciencefilmaker #ScienceFilms #ScienceDocumentary #STEMFilm #ScienceEducation #ScienceFacts #ScienceExploration #Telecommunication #ScienceCinema #ScienceInspires

September American Mineralogist: Raman spectroscopy of the ilmenite–geikielite solid solution   https://lnkd.in/gkhaaDcP Ilmenite is an important mineral group for many planetary bodies, including the Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Breitenfeld et al. provide a model for estimating the Fe and Mg content of geologic samples within the ilmenite–geikielite solid solution series using Raman spectroscopy. This work is useful for laboratory analyses of terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples, real-time terrestrial fieldwork, or planetary surface exploration by astronauts.

On November 27, 1971, the Soviet Mars 2 orbiter made history by becoming the first human-made object to enter orbit around Mars, marking a significant milestone in space exploration. Launched on May 19, 1971, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the Mars 2 mission was a bold attempt by the Soviet space program to explore the Red Planet. Despite a malfunction that resulted in the loss of its lander, the Mars 2 orbiter successfully achieved its primary objective of entering Martian orbit. The Mars 2 orbiter was equipped with a variety of scientific instruments designed to study Mars from orbit. These instruments allowed the orbiter to capture the first close-up images of the Martian surface, analyze the planet's thin atmosphere, and conduct important scientific experiments. The mission provided invaluable data that helped to deepen humanity's understanding of Mars, laying the groundwork for future exploration of the planet. The achievement of the Mars 2 orbiter remains a testament to the ingenuity and determination of the scientists and engineers who contributed to the mission. It stands as a landmark event in the history of space exploration, demonstrating the feasibility of sending spacecraft to far-reaching destinations in our solar system. #milestonesinhistory #spaceexplorationhistory #Mars2Orbiter #SovietSpaceAchievement #MartianExploration #HumanityInSpace #OrbitalPioneers #InvaluableScientificData

#MarsMonday The Cloudspotting on Mars citizen science project has received additional funding from NASA’s Mars Data Analysis Program to search for clouds in more Mars data. So far, citizen scientists have been hard at work analyzing data from Mars Year 29 (Dec. 2007-Oct. 2009). Participants classified over 6000 images in just a few weeks—data from the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) onboard Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. A Mars year corresponds to 687 Earth days. It’s longer than an Earth year because it takes Mars longer to orbit the Sun. The extension lets us study data spanning two more Mars years. That’s important because every year on Mars is different. The latest data from Mars Year 30 (Oct. 2009-Sep. 2011) and Mars Year 31 (Sep. 2011-Jul. 2013) span a time when Mars was less dusty than in previous years. Your assistance with this data will help reveal how dust and different environmental conditions affect cloud formation. 💪 🤩 Help find exotic clouds high in the Martian atmosphere! ☁️ https://ow.ly/Ayfj50TYRhv 📷: NASA/JPL-Caltech #Cloudspotting #exploringMars #NASA #CitizenScience

Water frost discovered on Mars' tallest volcanoes, Paris, France (SPX) Jun 10, 2024 Water frost has been detected on Mars' colossal volcanoes, marking the first observation of this phenomenon on the largest mountains in the Solar System. The international team, led by the University of Bern, utilized high-resolution color images from the Bernese Mars camera, CaSSIS, onboard the European Space Agency's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. Understanding water distribution and transport is, : Paris, France (SPX) Jun 10,

Mars orbiter hears the siren song of a salty Red Planet 'mermaid' 🪐 The European Space Agency's (ESA) ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) captured images of a unique feature on Mars, referred to as the 'salty purple mermaid.' This optical illusion, located in a dried-up riverbed in the southern hemisphere's Terra Sirenum region, shows a purple wave-like structure amidst Mars' red, brown, and grey landscape. The purple color comes from chloride salt deposits, detected by TGO's high-resolution Color and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS). These salt deposits indicate Mars once had abundant water, but it evaporated as the planet's atmosphere eroded due to the lack of a magnetic field. 🌐 #spaceecosystem #eurospacehub #spaceinnovation #spaceexploration #mars #esa #tgo #cassis 

On November 27, 1971, the Soviet Mars 2 orbiter made history by becoming the first human-made object to enter orbit around Mars, marking a significant milestone in space exploration. Launched on May 19, 1971, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the Mars 2 mission was a bold attempt by the Soviet space program to explore the Red Planet. Despite a malfunction that resulted in the loss of its lander, the Mars 2 orbiter successfully achieved its primary objective of entering Martian orbit. The Mars 2 orbiter was equipped with a variety of scientific instruments designed to study Mars from orbit. These instruments allowed the orbiter to capture the first close-up images of the Martian surface, analyze the planet's thin atmosphere, and conduct important scientific experiments. The mission provided invaluable data that helped to deepen humanity's understanding of Mars, laying the groundwork for future exploration of the planet. The achievement of the Mars 2 orbiter remains a testament to the ingenuity and determination of the scientists and engineers who contributed to the mission. It stands as a landmark event in the history of space exploration, demonstrating the feasibility of sending spacecraft to far-reaching destinations in our solar system. #milestonesinhistory #spaceexplorationhistory #Mars2Orbiter #SovietSpaceAchievement #MartianExploration #HumanityInSpace #OrbitalPioneers #InvaluableScientificData