Nasa TV: News Briefing On Mars Orbiter Science Finding

slade_x

August 03, 2011

Science Journal Has Embargoed Details Until 2 p.m. EDT on Aug. 4

WASHINGTON -- NASA will host a news briefing on Thursday, Aug. 4, at 2 p.m. EDT about a significant new Mars science finding. The briefing will be held in the NASA Headquarters James E. Webb Auditorium, 300 E St. SW in Washington.

The new finding is based on observations from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which has been orbiting the Red Planet since 2006. MRO is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

The briefing panelists are:
- Philip Christensen, geophysicist, Arizona State University, Tempe
- Colin Dundas, research geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Ariz.
- Alfred McEwen, planetary geologist, University of Arizona, Tucson
- Michael Meyer, Mars Exploration Program lead scientist, NASA Headquarters
- Lisa Pratt, biogeochemist, Indiana University, Bloomington

Currently Streaming: August 04, 2011

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

murrayp4

Liquid water on Mars?

goat2

murrayp4 wrote: »

Liquid water on Mars?

maybe there is evidence of life in mars,

lord lucan

This is huge news!!

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/news/mro20110804.html

murrayp4

From NASA website:

"Observations from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed possible flowing water during Mars' warmest months. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says this "reaffirms Mars as an important destination for human exploration."

BULLER

.....NIIIIIICE!!!!

maquiladora

Amazing.

BULLER

Projection image (Newton crater)

Sequences of observations recording the seasonal changes at this site and a few others with similar flows might be evidence of salty liquid water active on Mars today.

This image has been reprojected to show a view of a slope as it would be seen from a helicopter inside the crater, with a synthetic Mars-like sky. The source observation was made May 30, 2011, by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Color has been enhanced. The season was summer.

The flow features are narrow (one-half to five yards or meters wide), relatively dark markings on steep (25 to 40 degree) slopes at several southern hemisphere locations. Repeat imaging by HiRISE shows the features appear and incrementally grow during warm seasons and fade in cold seasons

Turtwig

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBam6B9wrdI

This is awesome, if it's not water then it's going to be something cool anyway. (Obviously it'd be fricking awesome if it's liquid water!!:D)

Rubecula

I wonder how many folks who see this news actually know just how big this is.

Beeker

This is really great news. We need to increase the search on Mars for life. I believe it is only a matter of time before life is confirmed on Mars and then everything changes:)

Rubecula

Even if there is no obvious signs of life, think of the possibilities for future manned missions to Mars. And beyond that to colonisation and deeper space flights.

shizz

I just called my mam in to show her saying it was huge news and when she came in the response I got was "...oh I thought you were going to tell me Madeleine MC Cann was found or something" To which I responded "What? This is Monumentally bigger news than that". Needless to say she didn't fully agree. tut tut

Turtwig

Rubecula wrote: »

I wonder how many folks who see this news actually know just how big this is.

Well it's actually not that big news. It's only speculation, strong speculation nonetheless but not definitive.

dbran

Hi

This is not news. I recall a similar video being shown about 2 year ago of gullies on Mars showing differences between the markings of one period and the next. Dont get me wrong its very exciting and all that but its not news. Its just more of the same.

dbran

MagicMarker

People seem to be getting ahead of themselves alright, we already know there's ice on Mars, now we know it can melt, big woop.

gargleblaster

Ice = lower possibility of finding extraterrestrial life.

Liquid water = much higher possibility of finding extraterrestrial life.

So, yes, it kinda is a big woop.

Turtwig

MagicMarker wrote: »

People seem to be getting ahead of themselves alright, we already know there's ice on Mars, now we know it can melt, big woop.

Ok and you getting below it. The significance of this is discovery is that it could be active flowing salt water (like rivers, waterfalls, oceans etc. here on earth). If true, that's probably the biggest discovery of the year so far.

Beeker

Malty_T wrote: »

Ok and you getting below it. The significance of this is discovery is that it could be active flowing salt water (like rivers, waterfalls, oceans etc. here on earth). If true, that's probably the biggest discovery of the year so far.

I agree, we are slowly making discoveries which hint at the possibility of life beyond the Earth. I think it is fair to say that all here believe that life beyond the Earth is a certainty but we still need the proof. It is comming and I for one cannot wait till it is found. What a shame that Carl Sagan will not be around when the proof is finally there.

Mrmoe

How likely are the alternate explanations for these gullies? It seems like there is a fairly high likelihood that it is some form of briny water.

2 stroke

As nobody else seems willing to stick their neck out on this, let me be the first to speculate that what we are actually seeing here is some form of plant, fungus or bacteria growth.

Lone Stone

this is amazing news lack of news coverage on this is sad and anyone i know who i told about it couldnt care less. >_<

markfla

I would say a lack of Irish media coverage....Sky and BBC have been giving this a bit of exposure with the JUNO launch....it's like science is taboo in RTE or something?