More results for the possibility of Life on Mars - Page 18

[link] #uv

UV-VIS spectrum for water.

link

Note that is the absorption spectrum. The slope would be downwards for the transmission spectrum in the UV-VIS range.

Serpens; The illustrated spectra for vegetation and ice are for between 0.4 to 1.1 microns (i.e 400-1100 nm). They are therefore in the same Visual and NIR range as the pancam spectra. I've only included them as examples (for the turbid water) of spectra that appear to generally have a negative slope trend with increasing wavelength. They are the only examples I could find so far of such spectra and I've looked through many libraries and papers. If you know of any other such spectra I'd be happy if you would post them.

Winston

Winston. Yep I will pay that one. The decimal point wasn't clear until you pointed it out.

Winston, I think the exposure times of the different filters are chosen to try to equalize the overall brightness (in order to get as much information as possible from the dynamic range). Since there tends to be more red overall in the scene, this might imply that the true reflectance spectrum slope is not quite as negative, or might even be flat. If there is access to the exposure times somewhere for past images, it might be possible to correct for this by a suitable rotation of the curve.

Barsoomer; Thanks. That seems to be an excellent idea and suggestion.

Winston

Mars Quakes Indicate Relatively Recent Quakes, Volcanism On Red Planet

Relatively recent seismic activity on Mars. Estimated magnitude 7 quakes based on boulder movement.

Seismic suggests vulcanism, which may melt water. Not clear how they ruled out impact-caused quakes.

Outstanding News!

How do you model a Mars-quake?
Remember the Gravity/Mass issue.

Hortons just posted Pict,,,might even be part of an event.
JHD

Well,,,,Google has not heard the news yet,,but the link has some good credits.Shure would be nice to know HOW recent.
Thanks anyhow Barsoomer.
j.

Here is what is happening.

APS Division for Planetary Sciences: American Planetary Exploration Is in Grave Danger

As many here will know I have always thought that the core of Mars is not dead and that deep below the surface Water Ice can be melted from heat generated down there. One of the first experiments placed on the surface of our Moon was to detect and record seismic activity, shame we forgot those basics on Mars.

Had Spirit survived as a lander job number one would be to record the wobble of the planet to establish if it has a liquid core. Over the last few days results from our Moon show there is possibly seismic activity going on there too. And why would any large rock the size of these bodies become dead? Jupiter and the Sun make up the Mass of the Solar system and when a body gets caught in between them it will get "squished" Io is an extreme of this process.

Inside the core of Mars in my view there are still some glowing embers and some movement. Remember this?

[link]

OK this could simply be a large glacier pushing itself over the cliff broken up by a bit of melting and the forces of gravity. But we have seen plenty of rocks that have rolled downhill too, something is giving them a nudge.

As mentioned there is some geological activity happening on the Moon:

[link] ?media_id=132860101

Yes, I read somewhere the other day that 2011 has seen many MAJOR Solar Events also.
j

Interesting technique to discovering the possibility of life elsewhere.

VLT Rediscovers Life on Earth

Yep,,,Kevin,,it is fascinating to see technology expand,invent and re-discover.

Having said that,,,the two human eyes are
superior to Oppy's,water finding tools.

Mud is mud.If it is brine water mud,or
pristine sulfuric acid mud,it is still mud.
Mud clumps together,and clings to rover wheels.Mud contains water.

MPJ's finding of the link on Brine Absorption
is VERY VERY important.It opens many paths of research.
John

A very interesting interview with an active astrobiologist (Dirk Schulze-Makuch) of the younger generation talking about Mars and et-life - totally reflecting my opinion and maybe the long due paradigm change:

http://seedmagazine.com/content/print/we_are_not_alone/

That is so right MPJ! I am sure if you track back through this thread you will find this is pretty much we have all said in a jumbled blog way. NASA's budget cuts have put Exo-Mars right back on the budget and timeline, such a shame.

Why oh why is one of the many bliionaires in the World not putting some serious money into the quest to find life elsewhere?

Why are we ramping up the missions so slowly to arrive at one that actually searches for life? No offence rock guys but studying geology for the last 50 odd years has got us nowhere nearer to the answer to the ultimate question.

Is there Life on Mars? Are we alone?

If the powers that be are reluctant to say we are not alone then private investors is the only route.

Would it not be easier if some religious group had a revelation that god had implanted life everywhere in the universe and we mortals were charged with discovering what form(s) it is manifested.

"This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said, grander, more subtle, more elegant? Instead they say no, no, no! My God is a little God, and I want him to stay that way. A religion old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the Universe as revealed by modern science might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths"

Carl Sagan

How to shoot yourself in the foot:

http://blogs.airspacemag.com/moon/2012/03/how-the-mars-community-shot-itself-in-the-foot/