Current:Home > StocksA spacecraft captured images of "spiders" on the surface of Mars. Here's what they really are. -FinTechWorld
A spacecraft captured images of "spiders" on the surface of Mars. Here's what they really are.
Surpassing Quant Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-08 09:23:56
A unique phenomenon that could be mistaken for spiders scuttling across the planet's surface has been spotted on Mars, according to the European Space Agency.
The ESA said in a news release that one of its Mars Express orbiter captured images of the "spiders," which are really just small, dark-colored features that begin to be formed when sunshine falls on carbon dioxide deposited during the planet's winter months. The light causes the carbon dioxide ice at the bottom of the deposits to turn into gas, which eventually bursts through ice that can be up to three feet thick, shooting dust out in geyser-like blasts before settling on the surface, the space agency said.
While the spots might look tiny from space, they're actually fairly large. The ESA said that the patches are as small as 145 feet wide, at their largest, might be over half a mile wide. Below those large spots, the arachnid-like pattern is carved beneath the carbon dioxide ice, the ESA said.
The spider patterns were observed by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, which launched in 2016 and has been studying Mars for signs of possible past life. The majority of the dark spots captured by the orbiter appear on the outskirts of a part of Mars nicknamed "Inca City" because of its "linear, almost geometric network of ridges" reminiscent of Incan ruins. The area, discovered in 1972 by a NASA probe, is also known as Angustus Labyrinthus, and is near the planet's south polar cap.
It's not clear how the area was formed, the ESA said. Suggestions include sand dunes that turned to stone over time, or material like magma or sand seeping through rock.
Mars is currently experiencing spring-like weather, according to NASA. NASA's Curiosity Rover has been enjoying the warmer weather on the planet, the agency said in a news release, working on environmental monitoring and exploring Mars' Gale Crater.
- In:
- European Space Agency
- Mars
- Space
- NASA
Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
TwitterveryGood! (623)
Related
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- Two-legged Puppy Bowl star Mr. Bean steals a 'Bachelor' heart on his hind legs
- King Charles III expresses 'heartfelt thanks' for support after cancer diagnosis
- How Las Vegas, once known as Sin City, became an unlikely sports haven
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Defy Gravity in Wicked Trailer Released During Super Bowl 2024
- Alex Ovechkin tops Wayne Gretzky's record for empty net goals as streak hits four games
- Horoscopes Today, February 10, 2024
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Jeff Bezos sells nearly 12 million Amazon shares worth at least $2 billion, with more to come
Ranking
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Kim Kardashian and Odell Beckham Jr. Spotted Together in Las Vegas Before Super Bowl
- $6.5K reward as Arizona officials investigate the killing of a desert bighorn sheep near Gila Bend
- Tennessee sheriff increases reward to $100,000 as manhunt for suspect in deputy's fatal shooting widens
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- NFL schedule today: Everything you need to know about Super Bowl 58
- Alex Ovechkin tops Wayne Gretzky's record for empty net goals as streak hits four games
- She lost her wedding ring in a recycling bin. City workers spent hours searching until they found it.
Recommendation
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
$50K award offered for information about deaths of 3 endangered gray wolves in Oregon
Father in gender-reveal that sparked fatal 2020 California wildfire has pleaded guilty
Beyoncé Announces New Album Act II During Super Bowl
In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
Huddle Up to See Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey's Cute Couple Photos
Hundreds gather in St. Louis to remember former US Sen. Jean Carnahan
Dexter Scott King remembered during memorial as keeper of his father Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream