European Space Agency probe detects ‘spiders’ on Mars | Science

Images captured by the European Space Agency reveal a phenomenon on the red planet that generates arachnid-like forms. An image recently captured by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter probe revealed a series of formations on the surface of Mars that, at first glance, resemble a group of spiders.

These very peculiar formations, found in a region at the south pole of the red planet called “Inca City”, result from ice that, with the change from winter to Martian spring, releases carbon dioxide, forming channels that go from 45 meters to a kilometer in diameter.

“These small cracks form when spring sunlight falls on the carbon dioxide blanket deposited during the dark winter months,” ESA explained.

“Sunlight turns the carbon dioxide ice at the base of this cover into gas, which causes it to accumulate and rupture the upper ice sheets. The gas is released in the Martian spring, dragging dark-colored matter to the surface. surface and breaking through layers of ice up to one meter thick.”

The gas, loaded with dark dust, is released in high columns through cracks in the ice, forming geysers and depositing on the surface, which creates the dark spots seen in the images. These processes form patterns under the ice that, seen from above, resemble spiders.

Discovered in 1972 by NASA’s Mariner 9 probe, the “Inca City”, also called Angustus Labyrinthus, owes its name to linear mountain ranges, which were initially thought to be petrified sand dunes, or remains of ancient glaciers.

According to the scientific portal Live Science, discoveries from the Mars Orbiter probe in 2002 indicated the existence of a circular crater 86 kilometers wide, possibly created after an impact by a celestial body. The geometric ridges could be formed by magma accumulated after the collision.

The phenomenon that occurs when our minds deceive us, making us see things that don’t exist, is known as pareidolia. This happens when we quickly detect familiar patterns that may have evolutionary value in identifying, for example, possible dangers, such as a snake. That’s why we sometimes see things that don’t exist, like “Martian spiders”.

On Mars, there have been several pareidolias, such as the famous “bear face”, an “alien door” captured by the Curiosity rover and a cat-shaped rock recorded by the Perseverance robot. On the Moon, the Chinese rover Yutu 2 found a “mysterious hut” that was actually just a peculiarly shaped rock.

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