APOD: Leopard Spots on Martian Rocks (2024 Jul 31)

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Expand view Topic review: APOD: Leopard Spots on Martian Rocks (2024 Jul 31)

Re: APOD: Leopard Spots on Martian Rocks (2024 Jul 31)

by alex555 » Wed Jul 31, 2024 10:28 pm

Re: APOD: Leopard Spots on Martian Rocks (2024 Jul 31)

by johnnydeep » Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:17 pm

Exciting stuff! Reminds me of Earthly lichen.

Re: APOD: Leopard Spots on Martian Rocks (2024 Jul 31)

by bystander » Wed Jul 31, 2024 6:22 pm

Kalen wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2024 6:10 pm What is the scale on this picture?
APOD Robot wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2024 4:05 am Explanation: ... The pictured spots measure only millimeters across and were discovered on a larger rock named Cheyava Falls. ...

Re: APOD: Leopard Spots on Martian Rocks (2024 Jul 31)

by Kalen » Wed Jul 31, 2024 6:10 pm

What is the scale on this picture?

APOD: Leopard Spots on Martian Rocks (2024 Jul 31)

by APOD Robot » Wed Jul 31, 2024 4:05 am

Image Leopard Spots on Martian Rocks

Explanation: What is creating these unusual spots? Light-colored spots on Martian rocks, each surrounded by a dark border, were discovered earlier this month by NASA's Perseverance Rover currently exploring Mars. Dubbed leopard spots because of their seemingly similarity to markings on famous Earth-bound predators, these curious patterns are being studied with the possibility they were created by ancient Martian life. The pictured spots measure only millimeters across and were discovered on a larger rock named Cheyava Falls. The exciting but unproven speculation is that long ago, microbes generated energy with chemical reactions that turned rock from red to white while leaving a dark ring, like some similarly appearing spots on Earth rocks. Although other non-biological explanations may ultimately prevail, speculation focusing on this potential biological origin is causing much intrigue.

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