本帖最后由 人与自然 于 2014-1-12 17:13 编辑
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2535708/Blueberries-Mars-Stunning-images-red-planet-taken-Spirit-Opportunity-rovers-revealed-new-exhibition.html The discovery of Martian clusters, known as ‘blueberries’, a decade ago provided some of the first evidence of liquid water on the red planet.
This incredible close up, taken by the Mars Rover Opportunity, reveals these spheres embedded in Martian rock like blueberries in a muffin.
The image is part of an exhibition by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum presenting more than 50 of the best photographs from two rovers known as Spirit and Opportunity.
These hematite-rich spherules were embedded in this Martian rock like blueberries in a muffin and released over time by erosion. The Mars Rover Opportunity found this cluster at its Eagle Crater landing site and analysed their composition with its spectrometers. Hypotheses about their formation have contributed to the story of water on Mars 火星蓝莓 火星上究竟是否存在生命体呢？数十年来，科学家们一直在探索这个问题却未能找到答案。综合外国媒体9月16日报道，火星探测器“机遇”号最近的重大发现——“蓝莓”状物质——或许可以帮助科学家揭开这一谜题。
这种“蓝莓”状物质是小赤铁矿球，直径约3毫米，发现于“机遇”号在火星的着陆地点。最初，专家只是认为它们可以证实火星上曾经有液态水。不过来自西澳大利亚大学和内布拉斯加大学的研究人员通过研究证实，这些物质可能还表明火星上存在过生命体：因为根据他们的研究，地球上相似的氧化铁球是由微生物形成的。如果这一结论适用于火星，那么该星球肯定也有微生物存在过。
这些研究人员借助高分辨率电子显微镜，分析了取自地球上一些沙滩和沙漠的“蓝莓”状物质的生物特征，并将得出的相关结论发表在了8月份的《地质学》杂志上。
之前有关“蓝莓”状物质的研究表明，它们是通过化学反应形成的。而最新的分析显示，微生物是它们形成的关键部分。根据这些理论或许可以推测，这些“蓝莓”状物质不仅可以证明液态水，还能证明很早以前生命体在火星上存在过。
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/hqzx/2012-09/17/content_15761473.htm
Ten years after Nasa landed the two rovers on Mars for a 90-day mission, one is still exploring, and the project has generated hundreds of thousands of images from the planet's surface.
The Mars Rover Opportunity found this 'blueberry' cluster at its Eagle Crater landing site and analysed the composition with its spectrometers. [size=1.2em]Previous theories suggested they were created by simple chemical reactions without the help of life. However, research last year revealed clear evidence that microbes were essential in their formation.
This raised the possibility that Martian ‘blueberries’ may not only reveal that water was present on Mars - but also ancient microbial life.
A view by the Mars Rover Spirit of a sunset over the rim of Gusev Crater, about 80 km (50 miles) away. Taken from Husband Hill, it looks much like a sunset on Earth, a reminder that other worlds can seem eerily familiar. Sunset and twilight images help scientists to determine how high into the atmosphere the Martian dust extends and to look for dust or ice clouds 火星夕阳，有一种大漠落日圆的感觉
‘Spirit and Opportunity: 10 Years Roving Across Mars’, curated by the scientists who have led the mission, opens tomorrow in Washington.
Along with unusual ‘blueberry’ clusters, it includes large-scale photographs of craters, hills, dunes, dust clouds, meteorites, rock formations and the Martian sunset.
John Grant, a planetary geologist at the museum who is part of the rover mission team, organised the exhibition, in part as a travel log with images on one side from Sprit and images from Opportunity on the other.
The rovers landed in January 2004 on opposite sides of Mars and began exploring volcanic deposits and plains, as well as meteorites and impact craters.
Rover tracks are shown disappearing toward the horizon in a sea of sand between the craters Endurance and Victoria on the Meridiani Plains. Mars rover Opportunity took the image while stuck in the sand ripple, dubbed Purgatory, for over a month火星车轨迹
A wheel that was used to test the Mars Exploration Rovers on Earth before their mission is also on display. After about 800 days, one of Spirit's front wheels stalled and stopped functioning. The engineering team decided to continue driving it in reverse, dragging the broken wheel across the Martian surface 火星车的车轮
Every one of the images you see here tells a story of discovery that goes along with the story of beauty on Mars,’ Dr Grant said.
It's a look at an alien planet through the rovers' eyes.’
Uncovering signs of the past presence of water and a more habitable environment are among the rovers' most important discoveries. Some were made by accident.
After about 800 days, one of Spirit's front wheels stalled and stopped functioning. The engineering team decided to continue driving it in reverse, dragging the broken wheel across the Martian surface.
That dragging dug a trench behind the rover that soon uncovered a new material as white as snow. This piece of metal with the American flag on it is made of aluminum recovered from the site of the World Trade Center towers in New York City. It is located on Mars Rover Spirit and serves as a cable guard for Spirit, a s a rock abrasion tool as well as a memorial to the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Mars Rover Opportunity has an identical piece 火星车上的铝制美国国旗，有一部分是因911而倒塌的纽约世贸大厦的建筑铝构件打造而成
Cornell University Astronomy Professor Steve Squyres (right) and NasaPlanetary Science Division Director Jim Green (left) look at the 'Spirit and Opportunity: 10 Years Roving Across Mars' 科学家们正在研究火星车轨迹 Uncovering signs of the past presence of water and a more habitable environment are among the rovers' most important discoveries. Some were made by accident. Steve Squyres (left) and Jim Green (right) discuss some of the findings
Cornell University Astronomy Professor and principal investigator of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission, Steve Squyres looks at the 'Spirit and Opportunity: 10 Years Roving Across Mars' exhibition at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall January 7, 2014 in Washington, DC. The collection of images from both the Spirit and Opportunity rovers marks the 10th anniversary of the rover landings, which occurred on opposite sides of Mars in January 2004
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