Jun 22, 2022
Strange ‘honeycomb’ pattern spotted on Mars – can you tell what caused it?
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THEY may look like they were left by giant space bees or spiders, but these honeycomb patterns on Mars have a far simpler explanation.
The strange lattices have been photographed on the Martian surface plenty of times and are the result of seasonal changes on the planet.
2Strange honeycomb patterns on the surface of Mars have been spotted by robotic orbiters a number of times down the yearsCredit: NasaIce at the surface expands and contracts as the seasons change, leaving behind a mesmerising network of lines and shapes.
The phenomenon has been known about for years but was recently highlighted by scientists at The University of Arizona.
A team at the institution operates the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Experiment, also known as HIRISE.
It's a powerful camera that captures vast swathes of the Martian surface from above, including its strange honeycomb motifs.
They form over many years when water ice frozen in the soil splits the ground into polygon shapes.
Dry ice under the surface becomes steam when the ground warms in Spring, creating even more erosion that gouges channels around the boundaries of the shapes.
"Both water and dry ice have a major role in sculpting Mars’ surface at high latitudes," scientists wrote in a blog post on Tuesday.
"Water ice frozen in the soil splits the ground into polygons.
Most read in TechSWITCHED OFF Hulu outage frustrated THOUSANDS of users after issues reported & service downMUSK MACHINE Elon Musk's 'friendly' humanoid Tesla robot predicted to be ready in MONTHSMUSK MONEY Musk reveals how many Tesla workers he's laying off as ex-employees sue companyGREEN LIGHT Elon Musk's $44b Twitter deal 'unanimously' recommended by company's board"Erosion of the channels forming the boundaries of the polygons by dry ice sublimating in the spring adds plenty of twists and turns to them."
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been in orbit around the Red Planet since 2006.
Alongside other orbiters, the spacecraft has captured plenty of pictures of Mars' polygon structures down the years.
Scientists study them because the features can help to understand how ice is distributed across the Martian surface.
They can also shed light on climate conditions on Earth's dusty neighbour.
Mars isn't the only place with polygons. Similar patterns have been spotted on the surface of Pluto by Nasa's New Horizon spacecraft.
They can even be found a little closer to home, appearing in Earth's arctic and Antarctic regions.
2The polygon structures are the result of ice melting and freezing with the seasonsCredit: Nasa- Get all the latest Science news
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Restaurants, Food and Drink | Danville: New cafe, Brown Butter, adds to Blackhawk Plaza dining options
When the craving for crepes and sandwiches calls, there’s a new East Bay cafe worth visiting.
Brown Butter recently opened at 3456 Blackhawk Plaza Circle in Danville’s Blackhawk Plaza. The restaurant specializes in savory and sweet crepes, sandwiches on Acme Bread, handcrafted hot and cold beverages and specialty desserts. Soft opening hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Monday. Take a peek at the menu here.
The five savory crepes ($12.95) include standards, like chicken pesto and ham and cheese, and a unique offering of prik poy moo young, a Thai street food dish made with shredded dry pork, egg and Thai chili paste. Sweet crepes ($10.95-$12.95) range from a banana creation with housemade brownies and a mango-centric crepe with mango puree, fresh mango and mango ice cream.
A Brown Butter desserts of note, the Shibuya honey toast with honey butter, almonds, fruit and ice cream, is a standout. And the lineup of housemade sodas, including strawberry and lemon, should keep Blackhawk Plaza wanderers cool this summer. For more information, visit www.brownbutterbp.com.
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