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Re: (meteorobs) Mars and Meteors



From Sky & Telescope:

Astronomers have long attributed Mars's global orange-brown color to
oxidized iron -- rust -- in the dust that coats its surface. The source of
the rust was always assumed to be water, whether from Percival Lowell's
canals of the 19th century or the torrential outflow channels seen by the
Viking orbiters in 1976.

However, recent observations have put a damper on the notion that Mars was
once awash, at least for long....

 http://SkyandTelescope.com/news/article_1039_1.asp


Re: (meteorobs) Mars and Meteors


I think the prevailing theory is that past water (H2O) on Mars has
caused the Iron to become Iron Oxide (Fe + O2) and the Hydrogen 
is lost to the atmosphere, and to space.  Hence Mars is red
because it is rusting away, like the iron rich red soils of places
like Eastern Brazil.

Clear skies,
Bob Young

In a message dated 9/5/2003 12:28:23 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
gliba@milkyway.gsfc.nasadot gov writes:

> Good point. So, the water contibution from meteors from comets has little
>  to contibute to oxidation; so it must be the oxygen in the martian air.
>  Or is the atmosheric pressure on Mars enough to allow water to vaporize
>  and not just sublimate?
>  
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