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Pebbly Rocks Testify to Old Streambed on Mars

PASADENA, Calif. – Detailed analysis and review have borne out researchers’ initial interpretation of pebble-containing slabs that NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity investigated last year: They are part of an ancient streambed.

The rocks are the first ever found on Mars that contain streambed gravels. The sizes and shapes of the gravels embedded in these conglomerate rocks — from the size of sand particles to the size of golf balls — enabled researchers to calculate the depth and speed of the water that once flowed at this location. (more…)

UCLA Researchers Find Evidence for Water Ice Deposits and Organic Material on Mercury

By Guest PostNovember 30, 2012Sciencedark deposit, dark organics, david lawrence, david paige, greg neumann, ice on mercury, jet propulsion laboratory, life, matthew siegler, mercury, mercury laser altimeter, messenger spacecraft, mla, mystery, NASA, natural freezers, north pole, pluto, polar crater, professional ice finder, radar, solar system, temperature map, thermal model, ucla, water ice

Planetary scientists have identified water ice and unusually dark deposits within permanently shadowed areas at Mercury’s north pole.

Using data collected by NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft, a team from UCLA crafted the first accurate thermal model of the solar system’s innermost planet, successfully pinpointing the extremely cold regions where ice has been found on or below the surface.

The researchers say the newly discovered black deposits are a thin crust of residual organic material brought to the planet over the past several million years through impacts by water-rich asteroids and comets. (more…)

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Pebbly Rocks Testify to Old Streambed on Mars

UCLA Researchers Find Evidence for Water Ice Deposits and Organic Material on Mercury