Water on mars. Currently!

[Don't panic]

apparently, liquid water has been flowing on mars in the last 5 years:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6587226

life next?

 

[keysersoze]

Let's get those rovers over there. Stat!

 

[PlaceofDis]

awesome. and yes lets get more info asap.

 

[pdpfilms]

Looks more like a rock slide to me, especially in this one:

As far as I've known, a gully usually does not fan out so close to the origin. Traditionally they flow until the hillside gradient lessens enough to slow down the speed of the water and cause fanning. As you can see in this picture, the 'gully' is already quite wide at the top.

 

[iSaint]

Unless it's where an alien took a leak.

 

[Don't panic]

Looks more like a rock slide to me, especially in this one:


As far as I've known, a gully usually does not fan out so close to the origin. Traditionally they flow until the hillside gradient lessens enough to slow down the speed of the water and cause fanning. As you can see in this picture, the 'gully' is already quite wide at the top.

it depends on the slope inclination, obstacles and so on.
I don't know if it was water, but it does look like that the cause must be some sort of liquid.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Inconclusive but with such low atmospheric pressure can water even exist in a liquid form on the surface?

 

[Don't panic]

Inconclusive but with such low atmospheric pressure can water even exist in a liquid form on the surface?

not for long.
but it might be under pressure at some depth and occasionally make it to the surface, where it would very quickly freeze.
depending on the temperature, solutes, salinity and mass, it could leave traces on the ground

 

[Ashapalan]

Some Scientists believe it could be liquid C02.

 

[MacsRgr8]

Unless it's where an alien took a leak.

whoa... big alien!

 

[MacBoobsPro]

Call me sad but i watched the NASA briefing live on Sky News. It is a liquid of some sort (not necessarily water) that has flowed in the gulley sometime between 2001 (i think) and 2006. The amount is equivalent to 10 large swimming pools i.e. you would want to get the frack out of the way if you say it coming at you.

Any new disturbance on the ground on Mars is lighter than the surrounding surface but it eventually gets darker (for some reason).

They also found a recent crater formed by a meteorite that hit recently too.

 

[ziwi]

Unless it's where an alien took a leak.

I was thinking the crater was the Martian septic tank

See they live underground and they flush the toilet to the surface...

 

[dllavaneras]

See they live underground and they flush the toilet to the surface...

Where it freezes and doesn't creep back to where they live... nice thinking!

Seriously, this could be big. We may find life forms that don't require water to survive, and with body plans never imagined. Of course, that would mean studying animal physiology all over again...