The Science of the Red Planet
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Dinosaurs can be found on only one planet: Earth. So what can dinosaurs tell us about the search for alien life? My answer is simple: sedimentary geology. The same types of rocks that house dinosaur fossils, like shale and sandstone, can be found on other planets, notably Mars. Paleontologists learn about dinosaurs by looking about how the fossils have been buried, how deep they are, and what's around them. On Mars, if we do find fossils, using these same principles, we can better understand the habitats of the Martians, what happened to them, and the abundance of life in the universe. Mind you, the Martians probably wouldn't be as evolutionary advanced as dinosaurs. At best, the Martians would be like the Ediacaran fauna. These same principles can be applied to life on the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, though the fossils found there would be frozen in ice, like mammoths in the Arctic. Saturn's moon, Titan, is a world where water ice is so frozen, it behaves like rock and there are oceans of liquid methane. However, there may be life here, too. It may not be life as we know it but it will be life nonetheless. Fossils found here would wash up on the icy shores to be frozen in the water-ice equivalent of sedimentary rock. Also, Titan has dunes, another means of preserving ancient life in the water-ice equivalent of sandstone. If we do find fossils of complex life elsewhere in the solar system, we can then deduce that the universe must be full of complex life, some of which might even be intelligent!
Merry Christmas! To get into the holiday spirit, I watched a documentary on The Star Of Bethlehem. Now, as an archaeologist, I have explored other religions and many different ways of thinking about God, not knowing which way is the right way. Then, I watched The Star of Bethlehem and my life was changed. Based on astronomy software based on Kepler's three laws of planetary motion, we know that there was a star of Bethlehem. It was a phenomenon caused by two planets aligning, Venus, the maiden and brightest planet in our night sky, and Jupiter, the king planet and the biggest. The combined light from both planets produced the star of Bethlehem. However, these signs from above don't stop there. On April 3, 33 C.E., around the time Jesus died on the cross, there was a lunar eclipse. The book of Revelation talks about a virgin mother with the sun in her hair and the moon at her feet. On this day, Virgo the Virgin had a blocked out sun due to clouds over Virgo's head and the eclipsed moon at her feet. This would have scared the living stuff out of anyone looking at this event! So what does this all mean? It means that ever since the solar system formed 4.6 billion years ago, whoever created the solar system knew when Jesus would be born and when he would die. In this way, Jesus talked to me in a language that I could understand: science! Now, I'm not telling you what to believe. I am just telling you about my religious experience that I had this Christmas.
The universe of Dune is truly alien. It tells the story of Paul Atreides of the planet Caladan who, after going into manhood through a poison test, is thrust into an interstellar battle for Arrakis, a desert, "Dune" planet like our Mars. Arrakis is populated by huge, dangerous sandworms and wracked by deadly sandstorms. However, it is also home to "spice", a byproduct of the sandworms that is fought over by several interstellar empires, for he who controls the spice controls the universe. At the end of his journey, Paul becomes the mysterious prophet Maud'Dib. MARS NEWS Questions and Answers Last month, hardly anyone commented on my site. If you like what you see on this blog, hit the "Like" button and please don't hesitate to ask any Questions you may have about the topics covered on this site. The future of this site depends on you! Mars Observing This Month I think it is fair to mention where Mars is in the night sky from month to month. This December, Mars will be in the Southern Sky in the constellation Aquarius. It will shine at a magnitude 0.0 and lie halfway to the zenith or the center of the sky. Mars will be right next to Neptune. References: Astronomy Magazine, December 2018 Issue Vulcan Discovered Astronomers from Florida have announced the discovery of a potentially habitable Super-Earth-type planet orbiting around 40 Eridani A, the same host star of Star Trek's Vulcan. References: Astronomy Magazine, January 2019 Issue Subsurface Life? A new study suggests that life could have existed under Mars' surface for hundreds of millions of years. References: Astronomy Magazine, January 2019 Issue Orion Works! A mock Orion spacecraft tested by NASA parachuted safely to Earth, proving that such a spacecraft can get astronauts home safely. References: Astronomy Magazine, January 2019 Issue A Tower on Saturn The hexagon at Saturn's north pole could be a tower of clouds hundreds of miles high. References: Astronomy Magazine, January 2019 Issue First Sample from an Asteroid Samples of the asteroid Itokawa, collected by Japan's Hayabusa probe, have revealed that the asteroid is 4.6 billion years old. Hopefully, the samples may reveal more about Itokawa and asteroids than ever before. References: Astronomy Magazine, January 2019 Issue First Extrasolar Moon Discovered? On October 1st of this year, researchers from Columbia University have announced two dips in the light of the star Kepler-1625, suggesting that there may be a planet with a moon orbiting this star. Extrasolar: Orbiting a star other than our sun References: Astronomy Magazine, January 2019 Issue NASA's First Asteroid Sample Return Mission The Japanese have already done it. Now, it's NASA's turn! On December 3rd, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has arrived at the Near-Earth Asteroid Bennu to start collecting samples. It has already discovered water on Bennu! The water is in the form of "wet clay". OSIRIS-REx has also revealed that Bennu is made of huge boulders. Near-Earth Asteroid: an asteroid with an orbit that crosses Earth's orbit. References: Astronomy Magazine Email Newsletter The Lacey Beacon The New Horizons probe locks on to its Target The new Horizons probe, famous for its fly-by of Pluto, has taken its first pictures of its next destination: a Kuiper Belt object nicknamed Ultima Thule. Kuiper Belt: a ring of objects beyond the orbit of Neptune (of which Pluto is a part) References: Astronomy Magazine, January 2019 Issue Recent Studies of Mars' Atmosphere Way back in 2004, the Mars Express orbiter detected methane in Mars' atmosphere. Since then, rovers and orbiters have detected this trace gas. This was an indication that there may be life on Mars producing methane gas. But hold the happiness, the methane is now gone. The Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) has not detected methane at all in Mars' atmosphere. What happened to all that methane? On the other hand, astronomers have found proof of an oxygen-rich atmosphere in Mars' past. “We found 3 per cent of rocks have high manganese oxide content,” says Agnès Cousin of the Research Institute in Astrophysics and Planetology in Toulouse, France. So no methane but oxygen. Interesting. References: https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2018/12/all-methane-has-mysteriously-disappeared-from-mars/ http://forum.astra-nj.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=860&sid=ff60dcf4fb463e71e5a35faeeef914a1 China's Next for the Moon Next to Mars, the Earth's Moon is my next favorite planetary body so I decided to do a post on lunar exploration. Earlier this month, the Chinese have launched Chang'e 4 to explore the far or "dark" side of the moon. It carries an orbiter, lander, and rover, all unmanned (no humans this time). However, whereas it took the Apollo astronauts three days to get from the Earth to the Moon, the Chinese are taking their time. They won't get to the moon until January! Mars' Ice Crater The European Space Agency's Mars Express mission took a picture of a water-ice filled crater called Korolev crater on December 20th. Korolev crater is filled with ice that's about 5,905 feet thick all year long and the crater itself is nearly 50.1 miles across. Korolev crater is just south of the northern polar cap, known as Olympia Undae, in the northern lowlands. The deep base of the crater floor, about 1.2 miles below the rim, contains ice and acts as a cold trap because air moving over the ice cools and sinks, creating a layer of cold air over the ice, enabling the ice in the crater to remain without melting. Who knows? This water ice in the crater may be home to Martian life! References: https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/20/world/mars-express-ice-nasa-insight/index.html Mars InSight Mission Updates This is the first mission to study the interior geology of Mars. It may also answer questions about "Marsquakes" and plate tectonic activity on the Red Planet, as well as, the formation of the terrestrial "rocky" planets. The seismometer of the Mars InSight probe has captured vibrations of Mars' wind and has translated the vibrations into sound. It has also taken its first "selfie" on the Red Planet. The Mars InSight probe has just deployed its seismometer and put it against Mars' surface to detect "Marsquakes". More on this as it develops. References: https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/20/world/mars-express-ice-nasa-insight/index.html This Month's Topics Plate Tectonics on Mars? Valles Marineris is the deepest and longest canyon in our solar system. How did it form? Many scientists believe that it formed due to volcanic activity by the nearby Tharsis region of volcanoes. However, was there a time in the past when Mars had plate tectonic activity? (Plate tectonics is the movement of a planet's crust. The best example of this is on Earth with continental drift.) According to a new study, Mars is in a primitive stage of plate tectonics which cause "Marsquakes" every million years or so. The Tharsis region may have been a "hot spot" where crust moved over liquid rock that formed the volcanoes in the distant past. However, due to Mars' smaller size and loss of heat in the core long ago, "Marsquakes" and crustal movement is rare. This new study is based on observations of Valles Marineris and the existence of magnetic rocks in Mars' crust seen from orbit that allow scientists to guesstimate as to paleomagnetism in the planet's past. The Mars InSight mission will also give us valuable information about plate tectonics on Mars. Paleomagnetism: the orientation of the magnetic pole in a planet's past locked inside layers of rocks around a plate boundary. References: https://www.space.com/17087-mars-surface-marsquakes-plate-tectonics.html Where did Mars' Iron Oxide come from? Mars is red-colored due to a dusting of Iron Oxide (aka Rust). The Iron oxide comes from broken-down hematite until it is as fine as talcum powder. The hematite is broken down by erosion by wind, snow, ice, and, in the geologic past, liquid water. But where does all this hematite come from? The planet is covered in this red stuff! Why is Mars' surface covered in hematite as opposed to the rest of the terrestrial planets which have a variety of materials on its surface? According to the theory of planetary formation, Mars' layers were less differentiated due to Mars' smaller size and light gravity. Therefore, whereas Earth and the other terrestrial planets had iron sink into their cores, Mars retained its iron on the surface as well as in the core. In fact, before erosive processes took place on the surface crust, Mars may have looked charcoal-colored rather than red. More information about the Red Planet's formation will be revealed by NASA's Mars InSight mission. References: https://www.space.com/16999-mars-red-planet.html Mars in Science Fiction Mars, being the most Earthlike planet in the solar system, has always played a role in science fiction. Ever since Mars was found to be inhospitable to intelligent life, a planet like Mars still plays a role in science fiction, along with the flying saucer and little green men. Mars-like desert planets in science fiction include Tatooine and Jakku of Star Wars, Vulcan of Star Trek, Arrakis of Dune, even the Planet of the Apes is set on an Earth that has become a desert world. Movie Reviews Nova's Asteroid: Doomsday or Payday? This documentary discusses the recent asteroid impacts in Siberia, the Sentinel mission, ways to detect and deflect harmful asteroids, and organizations planning to send missions to asteroids to mine for metals and water. Nova's Chasing Pluto This documentary discusses the technical challenges of the New Horizons mission, tracked its progress, and the New Horizon's first pictures of Pluto, revealing its geology. It also discusses the discovery of other Kuiper Belt objects besides Pluto and the possibly of life on Kuiper belt objects. Book Reviews Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: Guardians Disassembled Shorty after Venom of Spider-Man fame teams up with the Guardians, they are all captured individually by different alien empires. Now, it is up to the Avengers to save and reunite the Guardians. This comic book also features the origin story of Groot, the reveal of Drax's true human identity (Arthur Douglas), the return of Angela, the fallen angel, and a story of an enslaved Earth by the Brotherhood of the Badoon in the year 3014 A.D. (or more properly, C.E.: Common Era, this is what we archaeologists use). Saucer: Savage Planet by Stephen Coonts Flying saucers have been visiting us for 140,000 years. Now, humans hunt for the anti-aging drug that the saucer pilots use to extend their lifetimes in order to survive the long interstellar voyages. Meanwhile, the alien named Adam Solo tries to call a starship so he can "phone home", if you will. Adam also reminisces about his thousand-year stay on Earth which included teaming up with Vikings (I love those guys) and a run-in with Apache warriors. Star Wars: Kenobi by John Jackson Miller While Obi-Wan Kenobi is hiding from the Empire on Tatooine, he tries to commune with the ghost of his Jedi training master Qui-Gon. Also, he runs into Kallie, a young Tatooine native with big dreams. There are also eopie-type alien rides and part of story is told from a Tusken Raider's point of view. Spooked! by Gail Jarrow This book enlightens children to just how bad a lie can get. The book is about the radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds presented by Orson Wells on October 30, 1938 which caused a mass panic in the U.S. of a fake Martian invasion on the eve of World War II. I feel that this book brings up a vital historical issue for children. DK's Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need To Know Updated and Expanded by Various Authors This is an encyclopedia of all things Star Wars from the different movies and TV animated series, to the specific characters, aliens, planets and spaceships, all leading up to The Last Jedi. Our Moon: New Discoveries About Earth's Closest Companion by Elaine Scott This book is a brief overview of lunar geology and exploration (both by human astronauts and robotic probes) Exoplanets by Seymour Simon Decades ago, Seymour Simon wrote a book about our own solar system. Now, he's back! Exoplanets explores the Kepler mission, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), and different exoplanets like Kepler-69c, a "Super-Venus" and Proxima b, the first planet detected in the triple-star Alpha Centauri system (the same system as the fictional Pandora of Avatar). Proxima b orbits around the star Proxima Centauri, a red dwarf star in the Alpha Centauri system, 4.2 light years away. Eyewitness Books: Moon by Jacqueline Mitton This book is perfect for the budding planetary scientist! Eyewitness Books: Moon has everything you ever wanted to know about our moon as well as other moons in our solar system. It is a book I would like to have in my library! Zero G by William Shatner and Jeff Rovin We all know William Shatner for his role as Captain Kirk in Star Trek but, it turns out, he writes science fiction, too. Zero G tells the story of an FBI division on the space station Empyrean in the year 2050. This book is filled with murder, espionage, sex, drugs, genocide, and international competition for the conquest of outer space with a dash of mystery, science, and math (I can only do simple math. This is why I am not a professional astronomer). Star Trek Vanguard: What Judgements Come by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore For those of you who have read this blog, you know how much I love Star Wars. However, I love Star Trek just as much. (Heresy, I know!) What Judgements Come tells the story of the search for artifacts from an extinct alien race known as the Shedai. The Shedai technology is so advanced that it could give the Federation an upper hand. Now, there is a race to find Shedai artifacts on Nimbus III, the "Planet of Galactic Peace" before the Klingons do. Also, the Shedai Wanderers awake after ages of hibernation and they have plans of their own. I like this book because it mentions real star systems and planets in our galaxy like Arcturus, Orion, and PSR B1257+12. Dragonseye by Anne McCaffrey It is very rare that we see dragons in space-related science fiction. That's why I like this book. It's got dragons, aliens, and planets. Dragonseye is set on the planet Pern in the Rukbat system in the constellation Sagittarius. On Pern, humans ride "dragons", genetically engineered alien life forms similar to the dragons of Earth myth. Only with dragon's fire can they protect Pern from "Thread", an organism that feeds on thermal and organic matter from a rogue planet called the "Red Planet" (Hmmm...the Red Planet, sound familiar? Though this has nothing to do with Mars). This novel also features Pernese medicine administered to wounded dragons. On Dragonwings by Anne McCaffrey On Dragonwings is a collection of stories: Dragonsdawn tells the story of the discovery, colonization, and conquest of Pern, as well as, the domestication and breeeding of the first dragons, Dragonseye (I have already discussed this book in this blog), and Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern: the story of a young female dragonrider who has a run-in with a masterharper (a musician, poet, historian and scientist all in one). Taken by Thomas H. Cook This book, based on the series created by Leslie Bohem and the SyFy Television Event, talks about incidents in the history of the UFO phenomena, from World War II, through the Roswell Incident and Area 51, to a future where the aliens enlighten humans to a brand new world. You Wouldn't Want to Be on Apollo 13! by Ian Graham and David Antram Though they are children's books, I am a fan of the You Wouldn't Want to Be series. they go into great deal about events in history and what certain time periods were like. They also bring those times in history alive with cartoon illustrations. (What can I say? I appreciate art!) This book does the same for Apollo 13. I got my copy of this book at Space Camp. The Journeys of Voyager by Robin Kerrod The saga of the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft as they explore the gas giant planets of our solar system: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, made easy. Mercury by Ben Bova This is the story of the commercial exploitation of Mercury. Saito Yamagata wants to use Mercury's position close to the sun to generate solar power only to find that it is impossible. Meanwhile, astrobiologist Victor Molina thinks he has found microbial life in the ice at Mercury's poles, only to find that it has somehow been carried there from Mars. This is also a tale of revenge. Mance Bracknell was banished to the asteroid belt after being found guilty for a role in the destruction of a space elevator called "Skytower" and the deaths of everyone onboard. Now, Mance seeks revenge on Victor on Mercury. This book also comes with an excerpt from Ben Bova's Titan. Moon Exploration: Fact and Fantasy by Bruce LaFontaine This may be a coloring book but, like a regular reading book, it is informative about the formation of the moon, moons throughout the solar system, plans to explore the moon, and science fiction and mythology surrounding the moon. Mars: The NASA Mission Reports by Robert Godwin This is a compilation of the Mars probe mission reports from Mariner 4 to the unsuccessful Mars Polar Lander. In addition, it lays out the rocket scientist Wernher Von Braun's plans for a manned (human) mission to Mars. The Cosmic Perspective: The Solar System Sixth Edition by Various Authors This was my textbook for my astronomy class. Though it needs some revision regarding Pluto, it is still a great resource for budding planetologists. National Geographic's The Next Earth This edition of National Geographic is all about comparative planetology, relating the processes that shape Earth to the forces that shape the other planets in our solar system and beyond. Reader's Digest's UFO: The Continuing Enigma This book examines the UFO phenomenon from the earliest recordings of UFOs in ancient times to alien abductions and the Men in Black. I know that the subject of UFOs may be forbidden for credible scientists but I find it entertaining. I also like to speculate about life on other planets. Questions and Answers Q: What are the objectives of the Insight mission currently on Mars? A: The objectives of the Mars InSight mission are to examine the interior geology of Mars, monitor ongoing geologic activity in Mars' crust, and to monitor the wobble in the tilt in Mars' axis. Happy Holidays from Mars: the Science of the Red Planet! Happy Birthday to Me! Yours truly, Ryan Knipple, will be turning 28 December 29th!
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Ryan Knipple
"In our time, we have sifted the sands of Mars, established a presence there, and fulfilled a century of dreams." Archives
December 2019
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