Forget David Bowie’s Spiders from Mars – the real red planet is crawling with its own arachnids. Well, sort of. ESA’s Mars Express has captured stunning new images that look like a scene from Harry Potter. It shows dark features nicknamed “spiders” due to their spindly, web-like patterns. They’re not real spiders of course, but rather the result of springtime on Mars.
As sunlight hits the south pole, it warms frozen carbon dioxide, turning it into gas that erupts through the ice like geysers. This dark, dust-laden gas shoots up, creating dark spots on the surface and etching spiderweb patterns beneath the ice.
© ESA/TGO/CaSSIS
The image also reveals a fascinating “Inca City” region named for its network of ridges resembling ancient ruins. These ridges may be hardened sand dunes, solidified lava flows, or even ancient “eskers” formed by glaciers. Interestingly, Inca City appears to be nestled within a giant 86-km wide crater, hinting at a violent impact in the distant past.
© ESA/DLR/FU Berlin
The Martian landscape continues to surprise us. The image shows various geological wonders, from swirling, marble-like patterns caused by wind erosion to towering flat-topped hills sculpted by wind, water, or ice. Even the smooth, light-colored dust plains towards the north hold hidden “spider” secrets.
So, while there may not be real Martian spiders just yet, ESA’s Mars Express is helping us unravel the mysteries of the Red Planet.
[via PetaPixel; image credits: ESA/TGO/CaSSIS]
