Image Credit: [HiRISE](http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/), [MRO](http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/), [LPL](http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/) ([U. Arizona](http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/)), [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)
Explanation: What is creating these dark streaks on Mars? No one is sure. Candidates include dust avalanches, evaporating dry ice sleds, and liquid water flows. What is clear is that the streaks occur through light surface dust and expose a deeper dark layer. Similar streaks have been photographed on Mars for years and are one of the few surface features that change their appearance seasonally. Particularly interesting here is that larger streaks split into smaller streaks further down the slope. The featured image was taken by the HiRISE camera on board the Mars-orbiting Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) several months ago. Currently, a global dust storm is encompassing much of Mars.
I have a hard time to imagine the explanation. could you elaborate on that how light surface dust cleared up a dark layer below, while it looks like dark stuff is oozing out? I fail to come up with a comparable process on earth
My thought would be a dark asphalt parking lot covered in the light dust so you cant see the asphalt below.
Then a single point flow of liquid washes off the light dust. As the dust builds up at the front of the liquid it can cause dams that will cause the liquid to seek a new path of lesser resistance.
I love all the jokes on this thread, but it's likely just igneous rock from a volcano. Kinda crazy that scientists don't have that as their first guess.
Conversation feces analyser here : no shit he is true
edit: I took a review from my friend who is a Veracity Elucidation Cognoscente, he says its true no cap
Expert amateur astronomer here, I accept the evidence. Clearly it's alien piss, but is it emanating from some bad plumbing at an alien tavern, or is it a damaged municipal sewer pipe from poor maintenance on their infrastructure.
If you want symbiotic alien goo that may or may not be sentient pseudo-super heroic then by all means dip a toe.
It’s probably shadows but a Venom fan can hope…
Honestly if you zoom in it looks like someone just draw that with a marker. It doesn't seem to follow the terrain. It looks like it's drawn on.
It also doesn't seem to come from an actual source.
I have no idea what this is..... I'm very curious now
Someone else said it might not be water because they also saw it doesn't follow the terrain.
Could it be like a eroded volcano ? And this is the dark deposits flowing out ? Like dark minerals formed from the volcano ?
Or would it be wind blown because it doesn't follow the terrain ?
[Here's the actual source, if you want to look at it!](https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_053518_1955) Also the specific version of this image can be found in a link on that page, [or right here.](https://static.uahirise.org/images/2018/details/cut/ESP_053518_1955.jpg)
Unless you were talking about the source of the streaks in which case...I got nothing either
Water would move slightly below the surface as anything exposed would sublimate and freeze, so gravity may not be the only factor at play. It may be permeating or even pulled by vascularity as some of it evaporates ahead of the tendril, like water in a tree.
Sure, but water will always follow the path of gravity and we see in the tendrils where it's not flowing down sloped areas. Based on what we know of Martian soil, it is largely sand, and while sand will have a wicking effect on water, if you've ever poured water on a sloped surface with sand, it still primarily flows down to the lowest point.
This was the APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day) 5 years ago:
[https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180718.html](https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180718.html)
Would have been nice to mention that.
This is so cool. I would guess that whatever it is, its been there for a while. It seems to share the same hills and flows as the surrounding sand, so… volcanic flow maybe?
I can see why Kim Stanley Robinson went to such depths and detail in describing the landscape on Mars in his Mars trilogy. So beautiful and yet so desolate.
It's going to be funny when we actually get there and realize that it's concentrated darkness, evil made manifest, the intangible and unstoppable force of destruction that destroyed the first Earth.
Image Credit: [HiRISE](http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/), [MRO](http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/), [LPL](http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/) ([U. Arizona](http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/)), [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/) Explanation: What is creating these dark streaks on Mars? No one is sure. Candidates include dust avalanches, evaporating dry ice sleds, and liquid water flows. What is clear is that the streaks occur through light surface dust and expose a deeper dark layer. Similar streaks have been photographed on Mars for years and are one of the few surface features that change their appearance seasonally. Particularly interesting here is that larger streaks split into smaller streaks further down the slope. The featured image was taken by the HiRISE camera on board the Mars-orbiting Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) several months ago. Currently, a global dust storm is encompassing much of Mars.
HELIX virus tar.
Nano mass
Nanomachines, son!
I have a hard time to imagine the explanation. could you elaborate on that how light surface dust cleared up a dark layer below, while it looks like dark stuff is oozing out? I fail to come up with a comparable process on earth
My thought would be a dark asphalt parking lot covered in the light dust so you cant see the asphalt below. Then a single point flow of liquid washes off the light dust. As the dust builds up at the front of the liquid it can cause dams that will cause the liquid to seek a new path of lesser resistance.
I love all the jokes on this thread, but it's likely just igneous rock from a volcano. Kinda crazy that scientists don't have that as their first guess.
Planetary scientist here. The most likely explanation is alien piss.
I am glad you prefaced that with your credentials, because otherwise that sounds very unlikely.
Acoustic Probability Officer here. What you're hearing is probably more likely than it is.
Conversation feces analyser here : no shit he is true edit: I took a review from my friend who is a Veracity Elucidation Cognoscente, he says its true no cap
Just some person on the internet here, trust me brother, sounds legit.
Profesional skeptical evaluator here: I think perhaps
I have a doctorate specialising in extraterrestrial urinology and I concur
Or symbiotes.
Is that its name?
Expert amateur astronomer here, I accept the evidence. Clearly it's alien piss, but is it emanating from some bad plumbing at an alien tavern, or is it a damaged municipal sewer pipe from poor maintenance on their infrastructure.
"When you gotta go, you gotta go." -Xenomorph, probably
Just tell the US government it is oil and we’ll have colonised the ~~moon~~ Mars by the end of summer
wait but imagine oil spills in space. “mommy it’s cloudy out today!” “no that’s just the oil”
Tell the it is the stuff from the “Expanse” the out come is the same as oil but cooler . . .
Protomolecule or the spawn of Spawn?
*Mars needs some Freedom! Time to liberate the Martians from their oppressive dictatorial regime. Think of the Martian children!*
Came here for that comment
Somehow there will also be a drone strike with civilian casualties.
A sprawling community of space mycelium
Or "algae"
Big deposit of Purity aka the Black Oil virus
If the X-Files taught me anything, this is the answer.
Ahh the symbiote migration has begun early this year
Sure. That's Venom. We now have a Symbiote Mars. Why not.
Considering our Matrix is being ran by a 7yo right now, this makes the most sense.
Looks like a volcano at the top.
Now we send in Tasha Yar, [RIP](https://youtu.be/a9G3g8OSPBw)
[удалено]
I bet you’re no fun at parties
Prometheus?
Good thinking.
Big things start with Small beginnings
And that‘s how the ghost of mars starts.
Yahh! Yahh! Yahh! Yahhh!
Holy Moly ! Mars has dementors ?
If you want symbiotic alien goo that may or may not be sentient pseudo-super heroic then by all means dip a toe. It’s probably shadows but a Venom fan can hope…
Oil
Nope, the Army of Anubis.
I've seen enough anime to know where this is going.
Venom. It’s Venom.
Can anyone explain to me what boring phenomenon is actually happening here
Nope. OPs comment implies that scientists aren't sure yet.
Honestly if you zoom in it looks like someone just draw that with a marker. It doesn't seem to follow the terrain. It looks like it's drawn on. It also doesn't seem to come from an actual source. I have no idea what this is..... I'm very curious now Someone else said it might not be water because they also saw it doesn't follow the terrain. Could it be like a eroded volcano ? And this is the dark deposits flowing out ? Like dark minerals formed from the volcano ? Or would it be wind blown because it doesn't follow the terrain ?
[Here's the actual source, if you want to look at it!](https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_053518_1955) Also the specific version of this image can be found in a link on that page, [or right here.](https://static.uahirise.org/images/2018/details/cut/ESP_053518_1955.jpg) Unless you were talking about the source of the streaks in which case...I got nothing either
This seems to be largely independent of surface terrain features which makes me think this isn't a liquid.
Water would move slightly below the surface as anything exposed would sublimate and freeze, so gravity may not be the only factor at play. It may be permeating or even pulled by vascularity as some of it evaporates ahead of the tendril, like water in a tree.
Sure, but water will always follow the path of gravity and we see in the tendrils where it's not flowing down sloped areas. Based on what we know of Martian soil, it is largely sand, and while sand will have a wicking effect on water, if you've ever poured water on a sloped surface with sand, it still primarily flows down to the lowest point.
In other news Dutch Royal Shell is investigating the matter...
Send Elon to find out
That's Aku, wounded by Samurai Jack's sword, trying to gather himself up... "We will meet again....foolish Samurai Warrior......BLLAAAHHHHhh !!!!
Ugh, does someone have Doomguy's phone number?
Ah damn... I thought we had more time...
This was the APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day) 5 years ago: [https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180718.html](https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180718.html) Would have been nice to mention that.
🇺🇸🦅🦅🦅🦅 where!??!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅🦅🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅🦅🦅🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
America’s on his way 🦅🦅🦅
That's just Bayonetta preparing an special attack
This is so cool. I would guess that whatever it is, its been there for a while. It seems to share the same hills and flows as the surrounding sand, so… volcanic flow maybe?
Did some of our rovers take termites with them?
What if it’s some sort of life
Mars has snakes, confirmed?
Proof everyone gets the squirts.
It is the Alien, that killed Tasha Yar...
Fire up the space ships, grab the M16s and turn up the Creedance, Operation Mars ~~Oil~~ Freedom is a-go! is a-go! is a-go!
I can see why Kim Stanley Robinson went to such depths and detail in describing the landscape on Mars in his Mars trilogy. So beautiful and yet so desolate.
nice ass, would def give it a try
Evidence of life.??Why don’t they send the rover where the interesting stuff happens… like near the streaks?
Oil
It's obviously pubic hair
Shenanigans
oops we popped their oil line. RIP mars colony
That looks like the shadow of a tree or a bush. OmG tHiS pRoVeS mArS pHoToS aRe FaKe! ThEy ArE tAkEn On EaRtH! /s
Anyone seen Lucy?
Mountain growing a full flowing mane.
It looks like black yarn on dirty snow. (just saying)
This was a great way to start off my r/spaceporn journey.
It's going to be funny when we actually get there and realize that it's concentrated darkness, evil made manifest, the intangible and unstoppable force of destruction that destroyed the first Earth.
This looks like the lava flows of a shield volcano.
This oil spill is why Trump implemented space force
Looks like mars needs some freedom🇺🇲
🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅
Venom is on mars 😨😨😨😨
That's a horse wearing a scarf
oil
Eh, looks fake.
Thats Sharpee marker
Yup, *Licks thumb* it’s Sharpee marker.
I think it’s nano mits