E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Imagine traveling all the way to Mars and crawling out of the lander to take that historic first step only to get smacked on the head by a meteorite. It could happen. Really. Meteorites rain down on the Red Planet much more frequently than they do on Earth.
The HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter recently beamed down this latest evidence of a space rock bombardment. Analysis of the image suggests the series of craters were formed as a large meteoroid broke up in the Martian atmosphere and peppered the surface like cosmic buckshot. The impact happened sometime between December 2002 and March 2008.
The reason Mars gets hit by more meteorites than Earth comes down to the difference between the two planets' atmospheres. Earth's is about 100 times thicker than Mars', which means most space rocks burn up in our atmosphere, creating what we see as shooting stars and fireballs, but few impact craters.
On Mars, more of the space rocks survive the journey through the atmosphere and hit the surface, Ian O'Neill explains for Discovery News. This is why any would-be Mars explorers might want to pack a hard hat for the journey.
More stories on Mars meteorites:
- Mars meteorite craters: Make mine a double
- Opportunity rover finds meteorite on Mars
- Opportunity rover finds 6th Mars meteorite
- Scientists rule out Martian asteroid crash
Tip o' the Log to Discovery News
John Roach is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by hitting the "like" button on the Cosmic Log Facebook page or following msnbc.com's science editor, Alan Boyle, on Twitter (@b0yle).
Leave a Comment:
Underground Mars Base. That's what we need.
and it can be filled with music most people dislike, news most people disagree with, and an economy based on questionable ethical practice...
And hard hats. And don't forget your towel, too.
We should try to slowly create a more habitable atmosphere there...
How theoretically possible is that?
Crash a few hundred thousand comets of varying composition into the planet to try to add enough water and gasses to the atmosphere to thicken it up sufficiently to heat the planet, and allow it sustain a basic biosphere composed of plants, animals, and microorganisms. At least that's my theory on the matter. I know that there are those far more knowledgeable than me that could offer better thoughts
Use artificially created perfluorocarbons (PFCs) to initiate the planetary warming process.
PFCs have several advantages. First, they are super-greenhouse gases. A little bit does a lot of warming. Second, PFCs have a very long lifetime. This causes serious problems on Earth, but their longevity would be a positive factor on Mars. Third, they do not have any negative effects on living organisms.
Finally, unlike their chemical cousins, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), PFCs don't deplete ozone. Ozone in Earth's atmosphere provides protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which is harmful to life. On Mars, building up an ozone layer in the atmosphere would be an important goal of terraformers. "You don't want to destroy ozone," says Marinova, "because it's a UV protector."
PFCs are extremely potent greenhouse gases, and have a lifespan up to 50,000 years. In a 2003 study, the most abundant atmospheric PFC was tetrafluoromethane. The greenhouse warming potential (GWP) of tetrafluoromethane is 6,500 times that of carbon dioxide, and the GWP of hexafluoroethane is 9,200 times that of carbon dioxide.
The primary source of tetrafluoromethane in the environment is from the production of aluminium by electrolysis of alumina. Therefore, find deposits of alumina on Mars, start mining and extracting aluminium there on Mars and let the tetrafluromethane dump freely into the martian atmosphere.
Umm given the fact that these are both gases that are heavier than air, in general, wouldn't it require continuous production, as well as mixing with other gasses, to maintain levels in the martian atmosphere to allow for sustained warming of the planet? Also, what would you do to promote increasing atmosphere pressure on the planet, so that liquids, such as water, would not simply boil away? You pump billions and billions of tonnes of PFCs into the atmosphere without any other types of gasses, you have an atmosphere of gasses that are know to cause asphyxia, no way to remove them, and have only accomplished in heating a still uninhabitable planet.
Although on the note of releasing gasses, I cannot help but to wonder what effect melting the southern ice cap would have since that is mostly dry ice if memory serves. Melt that, and water also locked up in it, disassociate the oxygen from the hydrogen in the water, and use that to supply the atmosphere with oxygen. Still need a sufficient source of nitrogen though. Hmmm
all true, plus the need to wait a wee little while.....
V,,,, ZERO Possibility as it stands But one can use the " Huge aray of tunnels" to make " closed pressurized habitation modules" all over mares, and make use of the craters for thermal conditioning.
Don't forget about the lack of a magnetosphere...
Luckily PFC's last about 50,000 years. Heating the planet is the start. Once you start melting the polar caps, huge amounts of carbon dioxide will be released into the atmosphere causing it to thicken and heat even more. I think eventually you'll be able to get the atmospheric pressure up, but it still won't be breathable. Still... You could go outside in the 30-50 degree weather with just a jacket and an oxygen mask to explore the Martian countryside. Plant life would probably be able to survive in this denser carbon dioxide atmosphere (lichens and moss to start), and they'll start producing oxygen in greater amounts. The only caveat as Brokinarrow pointed out is the lack of a magentosphere. There's no easy fix to that (other than boring into the planet, remelting its inner core, AND getting it to circulate and rotate internally to generate a magnetic field - Good Luck!).
Inhabitants of Mars will probably always have to wear protective clothing outdoors and live in shielded areas to counter cosmic radiation.
I thought I covered that point about 20 posts earlier in this stream........
Mars' atmosphere is almost non existent because of :1, its lack of gravity. 2, its lack of a magnetosphere. Even if you tried to add gasses, they would just float off/get stripped away... Now If we could somehow give mars a molten , iron rich core, NOW we're talking terraforming success....Oh, and add a few millenia to mix it all...
What he sez.
Is it possible that massive possible impact crater in the southern hemisphere of Mars could have stripped away much of the atmosphere?
As for the article, yeah, that makes sense, you'd need to be careful, but, what are the chances, stastically, of actually being struck? Cool photo of the surface though. Wait, wasn't there some other sci/tech story posts about how these cameras are a waste of money?LOOLOLLOL
No, no there certainly wasn't. No one ever says that. And I do mean NO one.
Hernce why all the statements about the " Need to log all of the VENTS on mars", so far NASA has recorded some Huge Vents about 90 meters in diameter and a few hundred meters deep, with no doubt brached tunnels going off to the sides, at the same time Opportunity has a number of times come across a number of rocks that looked more like " Vent ejecta" then anything else, also an indicator of smaller vents scatter all around Mars. they would make Great " Habitation Modules" Meaning that any mars Habitation should be Bellow ground level, both for meteor strike safety as well as heat,radiation,CME and a number of " dangers still to be catalogued"
Yeah I'd hate to be on the surface when one of those planet-wide dust storms kicked off!
i think we will need more than hard hats to protect our bodies on mars!
Ann What would you suggest?
If you want to collect meteorites, go back to the moon. Closer, cheaper , faster for major sample returns.
It could be done robotically. I am actually very surprised NASA or Russia hasn't done this yet. On earth when meterorites are discovered , it's a big thing and a relatively rare thing. Now going to the moon and doing this would yield more information about the early solar system than earth.
Mike What is the Cost to bring One Kilogram of a Meteorite back from the Moon?
What resources do we have available to transform Mars into a habitable planet? As mentioned previously, Mars needs a molten core to have more of an Earth-like foundation. How about fortifying the Mars core with nuclear waste, and figure some way to utilize nuke bombs to kick-start the process. Of course, drilling to the center, or close to it, may be an obstacle in itself to accomplish the mission. It would also help if it had a size-able satellite moon instead of those two small asteroids. Our moon causes a wonderful gravitational friction, which is something else that should be taken into consideration. Where to get a moon large enough to create this effect? Scoop up a bunch of asteroids from the asteroid belt or maybe just a couple of large ones placed in orbit? I do like the idea of using comets to add water and other minerals as well.
I know my ideas as well as those of others seem far-fetched, and may have other complications, but without such suggestions, I believe that transforming Mars into an Earth is going to take much more than just adding gas. You may as well wait it out until the Sun expands and warms up the planet in about another few billion years from now. At that time, if not earlier, the Earth will then become too hot, so Mars would be an option, that is, if humans are still in existence. Who knows, maybe our robots in the future will have solved this dilemma for us.
Maybe it is best if we just focus on short-term goals. If you want to colonize Mars, take precautions and land on the sunny-side, since very few strikes come from the direction of the Sun. Secondly, look for what could be used as natural barriers. Some already mentioned the natural canals, and even the sides of mountains could be a consideration (not sure if there are caves or not). Finally, I know this sounds bad, but if you plan on sending humans there, make it to where they can survive as if they can't return. That means, have it already set up for them to stay indefinitely. Send durable supplies and goods in advance of the landing party. As far as other preparations are concerned, well, whatever it takes for the mission.
After it is all said and done, however, is it really necessary to send humans there? I have always been a fan of space exploration, mind you; But considering the cost to send even one human there is literally astronomical, maybe more sophisticated robots are the best option. Not that I like the idea of robots to out-source humans for jobs, just looking at practicality. Of course, there is also a possiblity to engineer a living creature that could endure the Mars environment. Oh, the possibilities.
"sunny side of Mars" Mars isn't tidally locked to the sun, so there isn't a side of it that is constantly sunny. the days there are only slightly longer than the ones here on Earth.
Anyway, to the point of your question "is it really necessary?" Yes, emphatically yes. Granted Mars isn't a very appealing place to colonize but right now it's our best option. We need to do this more to build the technology for interplanetary travel, as a stepping stone to interstellar travel, than anything else. The tech we will develop to get to Mars and the lessons we learn getting there will be hugely beneficial for the day we begin to plan out our first interstellar flight. Additionally it will create a plethora of jobs here on Earth, the new technologies we develop will once again (look at the Apollo program) be looked at and modified to help daily life of the average citizens.
So MY question to you and everyone is: Why would we NOT need to put humans on Mars?
ok The Moon is Tidal Locked to the EARTH, but it has " NO DARK Side" both sides of the Moon " See the SUN" but from earth we only see about 60% of the Moons surface " earth locked" not rotational Lock"!!!!
Humans On Mars Because NO remote control will work since the time delay is about 20 minutes, a lot can happen in 20 minutes.
NO Robot yet devised by humans has the dexterity, feeling.. like have you ever worked on an item and you had " that feeling something was not right even thought nothing was visible"? That " Human" feeling has " Invented and discovered" more of what we have then " any Direct invention" read up on how many " accidental inventions" we have compared to ones that someone set out to invent.
Wade Sunny Side?? Do you think that Mars does not Revolve?
And Why do we need to contaminate Mars with Nukes?
We can use lichen and mos to start simple life forms in " Habitation Modules" , go to My Photo Album and look at the Album " Making Mars Habitable" then come and share your thoughts
Radioactive elements do exist naturally on Earth you realize? Mars, not certain on though, it would take some extensive mining operations before we could say for sure. Anyway, he is suggesting we try and jump start Mars molten core with nuclear sized explosions in order to get the magnetosphere going again. Without a magnetosphere, any other gas addition taraforming techniques will fail.
Well one would have to wonder how long it would take for the core to start swirling sufficiently to create the magnetosphere. Of course, simply adding nuclear waste, and detonating nuclear bombs would not be sufficient, as we would still be looking at thousands of years of a run-away nuclear decay to cause the core to heat enough to sustain a decent magnetosphere(although I do remember reading somewhere that our own magnetosphere may not being doing the job we think it is, in terms of preventing atmospheric loss, though I cannot remember where I read it. If I can ever remember I will be sure to post it. It was rather interesting reading, though I am not sure of the validity of the theory) Although one very important thing we can keep in mind: A planet is capable of sustaining a very thick atmosphere without a magnetosphere, and we need to look no further than Venus for evidence of that.
What about plate tectonics, wouldn't those be needed for a sufficient magnetic field also? On that, I think Wade is somewhat onto something, I think we would need some sort of large, Moon-like body(first very large, then something closer to the 1/4 size of the planet. Vesta maybe?) to effect tidal forces on Mars, and possibly help to facture the crust to enable tectonic activity
Eric Great, but to think of making Mars into a Second Earth, i personally think is a mistake, what we need is to make use of what IS available to the Best possible, did you look at the album " Making Mars Habitable"?
One Key point is in Situ Manufacture of robots from Martian Soil, another words ceramics
Well since this originally started as a to terraform Mars, why not go all the way? Granted all of this is just hypotheticals, and theoreticals, and as such will probably not happen anytime in the forseeable future, but it is kinda fun to think about.
Eric Thereis Hypothesis and there is " fools dreaming", The Use of the Martian Magma Vents and The use of lichen and Mos, can be shown to have some merit NOW not " some happy day yet to come",we know that Humanity had to go through a Stone age, copper, iron and so on. so i believe any manned Mars mission would have to go through the Same methodology, using what IS available and easily attainable, and slowly built up from there, Rather then do the " Impossible" and ship all things from Earth.
Who is saying that this is being done with the intent to try and enact these hypothises? No one. It is the result of V.... asking what would need to be done to create a more habitable atmosphere on Mars, in theory. None of it means that we are going to actually attempt to do so, due to the that it is next to impossible to do so at our current technological level. However, even with technological limitations precluding any sort of terraforming, it does not mean that we cannot think about ways it could be done were we able to. As history has shown us, imagination is often times decades, or centuries ahead of technology, and that very fact is the reason why we should invest more effort in your so-called "fools dreaming". One might have said the same thing to Jules Verne once upon a time.