HTTP:: Martian Caves Could Protect Astronauts
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Astronomers studying pictures sent back by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), currently circling the Red Planet, say that an intriguing clump of depressions in the Martian soils could be the entries to an underground cave system. The underground refuges could be supporting microscopic life forms that were driven away from the surface when the planet lost its water, billions of years ago. In the future, as space agencies ponder manned explorations to the planet, these underground caverns could prove to be a wonderful refuge in which astronauts could take shelter from the harsh conditions on the surface of Mars, Space reports. US Geological Survey (USGS) physicist Glen Cushing reveals that depressions such as the ones in the recent MRO photos were observed on the Martian surface before. However, the recent observations are the first to show the peculiar formations in more detail, which led planetary scientists to the conclusion that they might be in fact entrances to un!
derground caves. “What's special about these [new features] is that they are closer to the surface and smaller [than previous ones],†the expert says. MRO snapped the high-resolution photos in extinct lava flows around the volcano Arsia Mons. The images seem to reveal tunnel-like structures below the skylight-looking depression mo...
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http://news.softpedia.com/news/Martian-Caves-Could-Protect-Astronauts-125297.shtml
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