Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Recently, the European Space Agency (ESA) released an image showing what appears to be a swarm of spiders crawling across Mars’ surface. These formations were spotted near the Inca City region by the Mars Express spacecraft.
Credit : esa.int
Despite their spider-like appearance, these features are actually small, dark-coloured formations. They begin to form when sunlight interacts with carbon dioxide ice deposits during Mars’ winter months.
Sunlight causes the carbon dioxide ice beneath the deposits to sublimate directly into gas. This gas then bursts through the thick ice, ejecting dust in geyser-like eruptions that settle on the Martian surface.
Although they may appear tiny from space, these formations can be quite large. The largest patches measure up to 145 feet across and extend over half a mile in width.
Below these larger spots, the intricate spider-like patterns are carved beneath the carbon dioxide ice. The exact geological process behind their formation remains unclear, with theories ranging from fossilized sand dunes to volcanic or sedimentary seepage.
Similar spider patterns were previously observed in 2020 by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, which has been studying Mars for signs of past life since its launch in 2016. These features predominantly appear near the Inca City region, also known as Angustus Labyrinthus, near Mars’ south polar cap.
Mars Express, which arrived at Mars in late 2003, has contributed significantly to our understanding of the Red Planet. It has mapped Mars’ atmosphere, traced the history of water on its surface, studied its moons in detail, and provided stunning three-dimensional views of the planet.
Despite decades of exploration, the specific origins of these spider-like formations on Mars continue to intrigue scientists, prompting ongoing research and exploration missions to uncover their geological history.