Amateur Astronomers Find Plumes High in Martian Atmosphere

These images of the plume were taken by amateur astronomers Wayne

Jaeschke, a patent attorney based in West Chester, PA, and D. Parker.

 

In March and April of 2012, amateur astronomers with their lenses turned toward Mars saw strange plumes bubble out from the normally round-appearing atmosphere of the Red Planet. The plumes lasted for around 10 days.

 

"Remarkably, the aspect of the features changed rapidly, their shapes going from double-blob protrusions to pillars or finger-plumelike morphologies," says a paper just published in the journal Nature by a team of professional researchers who back up the amateurs' findings. The paper also pretty much says that the researchers have no idea what caused the plumes. 

 

They do have two theories, however. 

 

The first is that the plumes were caused by phenomena similar to our aurora borealis.

The second idea is that the plumes were actually high-flying clouds.

 

More - Link >>> http://www.cnet.com/news/strange-double-blob-atop-martian-atmosphere-puzzles-scientists/

Source: cnet.com .

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