Dark Caverns Discovered on Mars
When I first saw this image, I thought it was some kind of joke, or Photoshop trick. But nope, this is real. NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance orbiter has returned images of strange cavern entrances on Mars.
See that dark spot in the middle of the picture? It seems to be a hole, in an otherwise smooth landscape of lava. It isn’t an impact crater because it lacks a raised rim or ejecta. Light from the Sun must be getting down there, but it’s so deep that none of it is bouncing back out. It’s just a dark hole.
So what is it? Scientists think it’s some kind of chamber with a collapsed roof, or pit with extremely vertical sides. Whatever the case, it’s quite surprising to see.
And just in case you think this is an anomaly, there are actually 7 of these features discovered on Mars so far.
The Planetary Society’s Emily Lakdawalla has more details.
Recent Posts
Two Stars in a Binary System are Very Different. It's Because There Used to be Three
A beautiful nebula in the southern hemisphere with a binary star at it's center seems…
The Highest Observatory in the World Comes Online
The history of astronomy and observatories is full of stories about astronomers going higher and…
Is the JWST Now an Interplanetary Meteorologist?
The JWST keeps one-upping itself. In the telescope's latest act of outdoing itself, it examined…
Solar Orbiter Takes a Mind-Boggling Video of the Sun
You've seen the Sun, but you've never seen the Sun like this. This single frame…
What Can AI Learn About the Universe?
Artificial intelligence and machine learning have become ubiquitous, with applications ranging from data analysis, cybersecurity,…
Enceladus’s Fault Lines are Responsible for its Plumes
The Search for Life in our Solar System leads seekers to strange places. From our…