Mystery cloud-like blobs over Mars baffle astronomers.

[astr0144]

Mystery cloud-like blobs over Mars baffle astronomers.




For space watchers, Mars is like a second home. Astronomers have been studying the Red Planet for centuries – the first map of the Martian surface was sketched 500 years ago. Since then, it has become the most surveyed planet in the solar system, besides Earth. We have sent over 50 robot explorers to patrol its surface and watch it from orbit, seven of which are operational on and around the Red Planet right this minute. It's not for nothing that space aficionados quip that Mars is the only planet known to be inhabited solely by robots.

So it was that much more surprising when, on 12 March 2012, amateur astronomers around the world noticed a strange blob rising out of the planet's southern hemisphere, soaring to 250 kilometres above the surface.

They watched for 11 days as it grew to around 1000 kilometres across, even stretching a "finger" out into space. "I was really quite amazed that it was sticking out the side of the planet quite prominently," says Damian Peach, who lives in Selsey, UK, and was one of the first to spot it.

Poor weather and other issues meant no one had their eye on Mars the following week, and by 2 April it seemed to have disappeared. Then on 6 April a second object of the same type emerged from the same spot and lasted another 10 days. It, too, has not been seen since.

Nearly three years later, the sighting still defies explanation. In an attempt to pin down the blobs' origins, Agustin Sánchez-Lavega of the University of the Basque Country, Spain, and colleagues, including Peach, sought out images of Mars from that period. They wound up collecting pictures from 18 observers equipped with a variety of small telescopes. The team also searched through old images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and identified a similar object in 1997.

Exotic theories

The team considered several possible explanations, each more exotic than the last. Despite their best efforts, though, they couldn't come up with any that were consistent with known processes – and neither can anyone else. "Frankly, I'm puzzled by the observations," says Bruce Jakosky of the University of Colorado, Boulder, who leads NASA's Mars-atmosphere-observing MAVEN mission. "I don't understand how material can get that high and stay there for so long."

One clue is that the blobs seemed to appear at Mars's terminator, the fuzzy line where night turns into day. That suggests a change in atmospheric temperature due to the morning sun may be responsible. The team's best guess is that the object is a cloud of frozen carbon dioxide and water particles condensing in the upper atmosphere.

If that's the case, it would be unlike any cloud seen anywhere on Mars, or on Earth. Clouds on both planets are only ever seen at altitudes below 100 kilometres, which on Earth is the accepted height for the beginning of outer space. "If the phenomenon is a cloud, then the most similar phenomena on Earth will be the mesospheric clouds that form at 80 kilometres altitude on polar regions," says Sánchez-Lavega.

Auroras

With that in mind, thoughts have turned to other potential explanations. Charged particles from the sun interact with the Earth's magnetic field to make the upper atmosphere glow – the phenomenon we call auroras. Mars's magnetic field is weak and patchy in comparison, meaning auroras were only seen there for the first time in 2005. That sighting was over a region tantalising close to the unexplained blobs.

The team calculate that the blobs could be auroras, but only if it is more than 1000 times brighter than Earth's. That seems unlikely, especially since the sun wasn't particularly active in March 2012. "The fact that you might see a visible aurora is not completely out of the realm of possibility," says Nicholas Heavens of Hampton University in Virginia. "But they don't really come to visible brightness anywhere near what this thing would be."

What about something like a massive volcano pumping material into the atmosphere? The blobs seemed to extend upwards from the surface of Mars, though it's hard to determine this exactly given the quality of the images we have. But that wouldn't explain why the blobs have only appeared in the morning says Sánchez-Lavega, and in any case we don't know of any active volcanoes on Mars.

"You would think that something large enough to dump that much vapour in the atmosphere would be picked up," says Heavens. A massive dust storm is also ruled out, as they normally don't reach above 60 kilometres and the blob doesn't carry Mars's signature dusty red.

Aliens at work?

OK, now we're getting desperate. Could the explanation be biological? Whether there is life on Mars is one of the planet's major mysteries (see box), but any alien hunters excited by the blobs should calm down, says Sánchez-Lavega: "No life past or present [has been] detected so far on Mars, so it cannot be." Heavens says there isn't really enough data to rule either way, but it's better to be cautious. "If there is no positive evidence, you should probably exclude something biological."


http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26983-mystery-cloudlike-blobs-over-mars-baffle-astronomers.html?cmpid=RSS%7CNSNS%7C2012-GLOBAL%7Cspace#.VOPt0-asUYk

[rdunk]

Don't we still have multiple Mars Orbiter cameras taking pics of the Martian surface that could easily be directed to take multiple pics of this area?? There was a program where individuals could request pics of a specific area, and NASA would do that (supposedly). So, why is it still such an unknown big deal after this "haze" was first seen 3 years ago.

Notice that there is no mention of NASA commenting relative to this anomaly?? I wonder why - - unless they do already have the definitive explanation for what this is?? And my guess is, NASA does already know!!

Here is a link to a BBC article that discusses this "mystery", and I just noticed that its ending comment also says in essence what I just noted above - "Close-up observations from telescopes or the spacecraft that are currently in orbit around the Red Planet could help to solve this Martian mystery".

A mysterious haze high above Mars has left scientists scratching their heads.


The plume appeared twice in 2012, and stretched for 1,000km

The vast plume was initially spotted by amateur astronomers in 2012, and appeared twice before vanishing.

Scientists have now analysed the images and say that say the formation, stretching for more than 1,000km, is larger than any seen before.

Writing in the journal Nature, the researchers believe the plume could be a large cloud or an exceptionally bright aurora.

However, they are unsure how these could have formed in the thin upper reaches of the Martian atmosphere.

Continue reading the main story
"
Start Quote

To begin with, I thought there was a problem with the telescope or camera"

Damian Peach
Astronomer
"It raises more questions than answers," said Antonio Garcia Munoz, a planetary scientist from the European Space Agency.

Around the world, a network of amateur astronomers keep their telescopes trained on the Red Planet.

They first spotted the strange plume in March 2012 above Mars' southern hemisphere.

Damian Peach was one of the first stargazers to capture images of the phenomenon.

He told BBC News: "I noticed this projection sticking out of the side of the planet. To begin with, I thought there was a problem with the telescope or camera.

"But as I checked more of the images, I realised it was a real feature - and it was quite a surprise."


Damian Peach was one of the first astronomers to image the plume

The vast, bright haze lasted for about 10 days. A month later, it reappeared for the same length of time. But it has not been seen since.

An international team of scientists has now confirmed the finding, but they are struggling to find an explanation.

Continue reading the main story
"
Start Quote

We know in this region on Mars, there have been auroras reported before"

Dr Garcia Munoz
European Space Agency
One theory is that the plume is a cloud of carbon dioxide or water particles.

"We know there are clouds on Mars, but clouds, up to this point, have been observed up to an altitude of 100km," Dr Garcia Munoz said.

"And we are reporting a plume at 200km, so it is significantly different. At 200km, we shouldn't see any clouds, the atmosphere is too thin - so the fact we see it for 20 days in total is quite surprising."

Another explanation is that this is a Martian version of the northern or southern lights.

Dr Garcia Munoz explained: "We know in this region on Mars, there have been auroras reported before. But the intensities we are reporting are much much higher than any auroras seen before on Mars or on Earth.

"It would be 1,000 times stronger than the strongest aurora, and it is difficult to come to terms that Mars has such an intense aurora."

If either of these theories are right, he said, it would mean our understanding of Mars' upper atmosphere is wrong.

He hopes that by publishing the paper, other scientists might also come up with explanations.

If they cannot, astronomers will have to wait for the plumes to return.

Close-up observations from telescopes or the spacecraft that are currently in orbit around the Red Planet could help to solve this Martian mystery.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31491805

[astr0144]

I also would assume so...

That's a bit of a mystery as to why they are not referring or using orbiters if they do have them circulating the Planet still..

Just noticed one of your previous threads....Is this blob cloud related ?

http://www.thelivingmoon.com/forum/index.php?topic=4547.0

Don't we still have multiple Mars Orbiter cameras taking pics of the Martian surface that could easily be directed to take multiple pics of this area?? There was a program where individuals could request pics of a specific area, and NASA would do that (supposedly). So, why is it still such an unknown big deal after this "haze" was first seen 3 years ago.

[ArMaP]

Don't we still have multiple Mars Orbiter cameras taking pics of the Martian surface that could easily be directed to take multiple pics of this area??

There are at least two orbiting missions active now (and at the time this happened), ESA's Mars Express and NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, so they could have been used to photograph that area, if they knew about it.

There was a program where individuals could request pics of a specific area, and NASA would do that (supposedly).

I think you are talking about HiWish, in which you can suggest a target for HiRISE to photograph.

So, why is it still such an unknown big deal after this "haze" was first seen 3 years ago.

First and last, if I understood it correctly, as it hasn't been seen since then.

Notice that there is no mention of NASA commenting relative to this anomaly?? I wonder why - - unless they do already have the definitive explanation for what this is??

Maybe they didn't ask them.

[zorgon]

Well lets see what we can gather... will sort it later


© ISRO/AFP/File | Amateur astronomers spot two cloud-like plumes high over Mars, as seen here on September 30, 2014 from the Indian Space Research Organisation

PARIS (AFP) -
Amateur astronomers have spotted two strange, cloud-like plumes high over Mars, deepening the mystery of what constitutes the Red Planet's atmosphere, a study said Monday.

The phenomenon was observed on March 12, 2012 over the "terminator", the boundary between day and night on Mars.

One of the plumes developed in around 10 hours and lasted for about 11 days, shifting shape from "double blob protrusions" to pillars which merged into a "finger", the study authors wrote.

A second was spotted nearby on April 6, 2012, and lasted about 10 days.

Their trails were vast, extending between 500 and 1,000 kilometres (300 to 600 miles) in north-to-south and east-to-west directions.

The "clouds" -- if that is indeed what they were -- were seen at high altitude, at about 200-250 kilometres, roughly above Terra Cimmeria, which is part of Mars' rugged southern highlands, according to the paper.

Mars is being scrutinised for signs of water and volcanic activity, both of which could theoretically nurture some form of life.

Clouds of dust or ice crystals have been spotted occasionally over Mars in the past.

But they have never been as extensive as the latest two, and they always formed at an altitude below 100 kilometres.

The plumes could be made of particles of water or carbon dioxide, said the paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience by a team led by Agustin Sanchez-Lavega of the University of the Basque Country in Bilbao, Spain.

Alternatively, it could be an aurora, similar to the shimmering light show that develops in Earth's atmosphere when solar particles collide with Earth's magnetic field.

Past surveillance by scientific orbiters have suggested Terra Cimmeria to have a "strip" with a strong but localised magnetic field.

If correct, the Martian "aurora" would be a remarkable 1,000 times brighter than its terrestrial equivalent.

But "both explanations defy our current understanding of Mars' upper atmosphere," the scientists admit.

http://www.france24.com/en/20150216-cloud-over-mars-leaves-scientists-baffled/

[zorgon]

Scientists Struggle To Explain These Bizarre Martian Plumes



Astronomers have been unable to explain the sudden but fleeting appearance of massive plumes high up in the Martian atmosphere. Rising to altitudes of over 155 miles (250 km), these hazy structures are forcing scientists to re-evaluate what they know about the Martian atmosphere.

Top image W. Jaeschke and D. Parker

Amateur astronomers reported the plume-like features on two separate occasions back in March and April 2012.

"I noticed this projection sticking out of the side of the planet," noted amateur astronomer Damian Peach in a BBC article. "To begin with, I thought there was a problem with the telescope or camera. But as I checked more of the images, I realized it was a real feature — and it was quite a surprise."


(W. Jaeschke)

A surprise, indeed: The plumes extended way up to the top of the Martian atmosphere — about 100 miles (150 km) higher than similar features observed in the past. At such a height, where Mars's atmosphere is supposed to end and space begin, meteorological phenomenon such as this aren't supposed to happen. As noted by lead researcher Agustin Sanchez-Lavega of the Universidad del País Vasco in Spain in an ESA release, the "reported plumes are extremely unexpected."

Because scientists had never seen anything like this before, they decided to re-analyze more than 3,500 images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope and stored in amateur image archives. Sure enough, the astronomers discovered a similar occurrence in a Hubble image dated May 17, 1999. The images suggest that, while rare, these plumes do seem to happen on Mars.

Massive Martian Mists

When they do occur, the plumes only take about 10 hours to form, extending over an area measuring 620 by 930 miles (1,000 by 1,500 km) in both the north-south and east-west directions. They hang in the atmosphere for about 10 days, changing shape on a daily basis before finally disappearing. The apparent clouds extend up into Mars's ionosphere and exosphere where the atmosphere is incredibly thin.


(W. Jaeschke and D. Parker)

The plumes were observed along the Martian limb, i.e. the observed 'edge' of the planet, at the night/day boundary. The misty structures discovered in 2012 were situated between 124 and 155 miles (200 and 250 km) above the Terra Cemmeria region of the Red Planet's south-eastern hemisphere.

The plumes could not be observed by orbiting spacecraft owing to an incorrect viewing angle and poor lighting conditions.

The astronomers who are currently studying the nature and cause of the plumes have come up with two different theories.

Theory #1: Auroras

The first theory is that they're highly concentrated and localized patches of auroral emissions controlled by magnetic field anomalies in the planet's crust. And in fact, such phenomena have been recorded at an altitude of 80 miles (130 km). What's more, auroral emissions have been previously observed above these geographic locations; this particular spot on Mars is known for having a large anomaly in the crust's magnetic field.

"I think there's still some discussion about the magnetic field as a contributing factor because of the high solar winds at the time," noted amateur Florida astronomer Wayne Jaeschke in an ABC Science article. "We saw this feature as several large coronal mass ejections from the Sun were passing by Mars."

Trouble is, the math doesn't add up; the strength of this apparent auroral emission should have been far weaker than the brightness exhibited by these massive plumes. For this theory to work, the observed aurora would have to be 1,000 times brighter than aurora found on Earth. As astronomer Garcia Munoz told the BBC, "it is difficult to come to terms that Mars has such an intense aurora."

Theory #2: Large Clouds of Ice and Dust

Another theory is that it's a hazy concoction of water-ice and/or carbon-dioxide-ice crystals mixed in with the fine Martian dust. Previous studies have shown that similar clouds can extend to a maximum height of 60 miles (100 km) when pushed upwards by major dust storms.

"One idea we've discussed is that the features are caused by a reflective cloud of water-ice, carbon dioxide-ice or dust particles, but this would require exceptional deviations from standard atmospheric circulation models to explain cloud formations at such high altitudes," noted Sanchez-Lavega.

Indeed, as the authors conclude in their study, "Importantly, both explanations defy our current understanding of Mars' upper atmosphere." Meaning that, if either of these theories is correct, science's present understanding of the physics in Mars's upper atmosphere is incorrect, or incomplete.

Hopefully these plumes will return in the near future so they can be studied further.

Read the entire study at Nature: "An extremely high-altitude plume seen at Mars' morning terminator".

http://io9.com/scientists-struggle-to-explain-these-bizarre-martian-pl-1686274987

[zorgon]

Just noticed one of your previous threads....Is this blob cloud related ?

No those are just normal Martian clouds

But THIS one...  MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-249, 12 September 2000

Recent Mars and Earth Dust Storms Compared

In this figure, we compare a recent dust storm on Mars with one that occurred earlier this year on Earth. The top image shows a martian north polar dust storm observed on 29 August 2000. This image is part of the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global map--a low resolution, two-color view of Mars acquired from pole to pole every orbit. The storm is moving as a front, outward from a central "jet," and marginal "vortices" can be seen. In this image it extends about 900 km (560 mi) out from the north polar seasonal frost cap. The region on the right side of the Mars picture includes the north pole. The bottom image shows a terrestrial dust storm, seen in a SeaWiFS image, acquired on 26 February 2000. This storm exends about 1800 km (1100 mi) off the coast of northwest Africa near the Earth's equator. Both images are shown at the same scale; 4 km (2.5 mi) per pixel.




http://www.thelivingmoon.com/43ancients/02files/Mars_Blue_Bird_Weather.html

[zorgon]

Don't we still have multiple Mars Orbiter cameras taking pics of the Martian surface that could easily be directed to take multiple pics of this area??

Problem is that this was seen in 2012  BBC says;  "The vast plume was initially spotted by amateur astronomers in 2012, and appeared twice before vanishing."

So they took this long to release the pictures

There was a program where individuals could request pics of a specific area, and NASA would do that (supposedly). So, why is it still such an unknown big deal after this "haze" was first seen 3 years ago.

That program is/was? for LRO on the moon  not for Mars.

Three years is about how long it takes them to think about it. They did the same with the Mars Methane

[astr0144]

Thanks "Z" for explaining about  the time frames involved and for us to perhaps understand that although it initially occurred some time ago that they maybe only just letting us know about it..or that some of the info is updated or maybe recent..even if some things may have already come out...

Makes it more interesting and its another mystery to be solved..

Problem is that this was seen in 2012  BBC says;  "The vast plume was initially spotted by amateur astronomers in 2012, and appeared twice before vanishing."

So they took this long to release the pictures

That program is/was? for LRO on the moon  not for Mars.

Three years is about how long it takes them to think about it. They did the same with the Mars Methane

[rdunk]

Quote rdunk
There was a program where individuals could request pics of a specific area, and NASA would do that (supposedly). So, why is it still such an unknown big deal after this "haze" was first seen 3 years ago.

Quote Zorgon

That program is/was? for LRO on the moon  not for Mars.

Three years is about how long it takes them to think about it. They did the same with the Mars Methane


Z, here is a 2010 article about this: Ready, aim, click: Mars imaging team takes your requests

Scientists with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, currently circling the planet Mars, have released the first images suggested by John and Jane Q. Public. The program is designed to bring extra sets of eyes to the image-targeting process.

Scientists with NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter yesterday released the craft's first images of the Martian surface taken at the behest of everyday folks with a keen interest in the red planet.

It's an aspect of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission scientists started in January. It's called HiWish.

So far, only about 1 percent of the Martian surface has gotten the Ansel Adams treatment from the spacecraft's high-resolution camera. From its orbit, which ranges from 200 to 400 kilometers (125 to 250 miles) above the planet, HiRISE can spot objects as small as 1 meter across on the surface.

The HiRISE team has its ever-evolving science agenda, to be sure. But "we appreciate fresh thinking outside the box," notes Alfred McEwen, the lead scientist for HiRISE. Input from the public prompts his team to "look for things we may not have chosen otherwise."

Ari Espinoza, an outreach coordinator for HiRISE's public-request program, notes that participants so far range from bona fide scientists to a retired school teacher with an abiding fascination with Mars. "We're really viewing this as the people's camera," Mr. Espinoza says.

More, including instructions on how to participate:

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/Discoveries/2010/0401/Ready-aim-click-Mars-imaging-team-takes-your-requests

[ArMaP]

I suppose this post is invisible. 

[astr0144]

    

Yes Armap...I think that I see your point...

maybe a few apologies or explanations required here !

I suppose this post is invisible. 

[rdunk]

I suppose this post is invisible. 

ArMaP - Nope, wasn't invisible at all, but since Z mentioned it was a "Moon program that did such rather than Mars", I simply posted factual data to bring Z up to date on this, rather than refer to your comment. I did assume that you were knowledgeable of the program too, because of your comment.                                     

[zorgon]

Makes it more interesting and its another mystery to be solved..

What we need is that Nature article but I don't feel like paying $35.00 for it  I will see if I can get it from NASA

[zorgon]

I simply posted factual data to bring Z up to date on this, rather than refer to your comment. I did assume that you were knowledgeable of the program too, because of your comment.                                   

Thanks for the update  I did miss that program and yes ArMaPs post

I must be getting old   But then that is why we have a TEAM right?