What are the dark patches on Mars?

The spots are colonies of photosynthetic Martian microorganisms, they hypothesise, which over-winter beneath the ice cap. As the Sun returns to the pole during early spring, light penetrates the ice, the microorganisms photosynthesise and heat their immediate surroundings.

What is the face on Mars Really?

New high-resolution images and 3D altimetry from NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft reveal the Face on Mars for what it really is: a mesa. NASA’s Viking 1 spacecraft was circling the planet, snapping photos of possible landing sites for its sister ship Viking 2, when it spotted the shadowy likeness of a human face.

What surface features of Mars are visible from Earth?

Its surface is rocky, with canyons, volcanoes, dry lake beds and craters all over it. Red dust covers most of its surface. Mars has clouds and wind just like Earth. Sometimes the wind blows the red dust into a dust storm.

What are the most prominent features on Mars?

The common surface features of Mars include dark slope streaks, dust devil tracks, sand dunes, Medusae Fossae Formation, fretted terrain, layers, gullies, glaciers, scalloped topography, chaos terrain, possible ancient rivers, pedestal craters, brain terrain, and ring mold craters.

What are fans and blotches on Mars?

Scientists believe that these features indicate wind direction and speed. By tracking ‘fans’ and ‘blotches’ over the course of several Martian years to see how they form, evolve, disappear and reform, we can help planetary scientists better understand Mars’ climate.

How dark is it on Mars?

On Mars, near the equator, the duration of daylight is about 12 hours, followed by approximately 12 hours of darkness. A Martian greenhouse will need to be well insulated to avoid huge temperature drops at night.

Is there a smiley face on Mars?

Galle is a crater on Mars. Galle is often known as the “happy face crater” because pareidolia causes a curved mountain range in the southern part of the crater and two smaller mountain clusters further north to appear to be a smiley face. The formation was first photographed by Viking Orbiter 1.

Is there a dark side of Mars?

The dark markings cover about one-third of the Martian surface, mostly in a band around the planet between latitudes 10° and 40° S. Their distribution is irregular, and their gross pattern has been observed to change over timescales of tens to hundreds of years.

Does it ever get dark on Mars?

What causes the changing dark and light features visible on the Martian surface from Earth?

What causes the changing dark and light features visible on the Martian surface from Earth? volcanic planes like the lunar maria. the Valles Marineris has craters in and around it.

What is the commonly accepted theory on the origin of the dark streaks seen on Mars?

The streaks can start in a tiny area which then spread out for hundreds of metres. They have been seen to follow the edges of boulders and other obstacles in their path. The commonly accepted theories include that they are dark underlying layers of soil revealed after avalanches of bright dust or dust devils.