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Credit & Copyright: W. Jaeschke
Explanation:
What is creating unusual plumes on Mars?
No one is sure.
Noted and confirmed by a
global contingent of amateur astronomers on photos of the
red planet in March 2012,
possibly similar plumes have now been found on
archived images as far back as 1997.
Since the plumes reach 200 kilometers up,
they
seem too high to be related to
wind-blown surface dust.
Since one plume lasted for eleven days,
it seemed too long lasting to be related to aurora.
Amateur astronomers will surely continue to monitor the terminator and edge regions
of Mars for new
high plumes, and the
armada of satellites
orbiting Mars may be called upon to verify and study any newly reported plume that
become visible.
The featured 35-minute time-lapse animation was taken on 2012 March 20 by the plume's
discoverer --
an attorney from
Pennsylvania,
USA.
Poll: What do you think these unusual Martian plumes are?
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Mars
Publications with words: Mars
See also:
- APOD: 2025 July 15 B Collapse in Hebes Chasma on Mars
- APOD: 2025 July 6 B The Spiral North Pole of Mars
- APOD: 2025 June 29 B Dark Sand Cascades on Mars
- APOD: 2025 June 22 B A Berry Bowl of Martian Spherules
- APOD: 2025 June 15 B Two Worlds One Sun
- Perseverance Selfie with Ingenuity
- Deimos Before Sunrise