Mars Photo of the Day- Aug 5 2011

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The following series of images was taken from early spring of one Mars year to mid-summer of the following year. They show features on the slope of Newton Crater that might be evidence of salt water flowing on Mars today. The photos were taken during the warm season on Mars by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. 

The features lengthen during the warm season and diminish in the cold season.
NASA - Warm-Season Flows on Slope in Newton Crater

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NASA has Discovered Substantial Evidence that Water is Flowing on Mars

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"It is our first chance to see an environment on Mars that might allow for the expression of an active biological process, if there is presently life on Mars."  - Lisa Pratt at NASA news briefing on the discovery of flowing water on Mars (04 Aug 2011)


In NASA's news briefing about findings by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter they announced that they have significant evidence that liquid water is currently flowing on Mars. They used Newton Crater (below) as their focal point in the discussion and showed gullies that have gotten larger over the course of two and a half sol (Martian years) of observation. 

Newton Crater and an adjacent trough- both with gullies

Newton Crater is about 10 km in diameter and a few hundred million years old (relatively new). It is just one of seven places that have distinct evidence of flowing water.

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