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A NASA spacecraft in orbit around Mars has taken the first ever image of active avalanches near the Red Planet's north pole. Interesting stuff.

Links

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/03mar_avalanche.htm
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/main/index.html


http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/images/avalanche/214806main_PSP_007338_2640_516_strip.jpg

Yet another thing NASA stumbles upon by random luck.

Originally posted by Bicnarok
A NASA spacecraft in orbit around Mars has taken the first ever image of active avalanches near the Red Planet's north pole. Interesting stuff.

Links

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/03mar_avalanche.htm
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/main/index.html


http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/images/avalanche/214806main_PSP_007338_2640_516_strip.jpg

Originally posted by Admiral Akbar
Yet another thing NASA stumbles upon by random luck.

Isn't that where they have satellites observing the surface at all times?

Originally posted by ragesRemorse
Isn't that where they have satellites observing the surface at all times?

{The orbiter's HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Experiment) camera wasn't looking for avalanches. "We were checking for springtime changes in the carbon-dioxide frost covering a northern dune field, and finding the avalanches was completely serendipitous," says JPL's Candice Hansen, deputy principal investigator for HiRISE.}

great thread B!

Originally posted by Bicnarok
If you consider these things then it does seem very unlikely that such and event can be caught by accident

"unlikely"?

If there is only one orbiter and they weren't initially looking for any avalanches..then it does sound like luck to me. How frequent are the avalanches on Mars? I'm not sure, but if I was to compare to our planet then I would say that avalanches are infrequent, so it's possible Mars works in very much the same way.

Originally posted by Admiral Akbar
{The orbiter's HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Experiment) camera wasn't looking for avalanches. "We were checking for springtime changes in the carbon-dioxide frost covering a northern dune field, and finding the avalanches was completely serendipitous," says JPL's Candice Hansen, deputy principal investigator for HiRISE.}



yeah, i read that, thanks.

This had nothing to do with my point. most everything known about Astronomy was found by accident. It is the point that they are looking that counts.

I think anvalanches and earthquakes are common on Mars due to the fact that it's actually a dragon egg.

Originally posted by ragesRemorse
yeah, i read that, thanks.

This had nothing to do with my point. most everything known about Astronomy was found by accident. It is the point that they are looking that counts.

Alright? And my point was that NASA stumbled upon something else by accident. So thanks for restating?

Originally posted by =Tired Hiker=
I think anvalanches and earthquakes are common on Mars due to the fact that it's actually a dragon egg.

Who knows, its a weird and unpredictable universe

Theres other Hires pictures there as well, some are well neat.

Let's hope those damned Martians aren't trying any more crap. I thought they learned their lesson when they failed to kill Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning like 60 times.

But seriously. Those are pretty neat photos.

Originally posted by =Tired Hiker=
I think anvalanches and earthquakes are common on Mars due to the fact that it's actually a dragon egg.

Oh that was good. And if it were true really f'd up. We would be in trouble

Originally posted by Council#13
Let's hope those damned Martians aren't trying any more crap. I thought they learned their lesson when they failed to kill Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning like 60 times.

They came down to destroy intelligent life on earth. They met our celebrities and promptly left.