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Ice Detected Underneath Mars' North Pole

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the water-water-everywhere dept.

TheSync writes "A Reuters/Yahoo story says University of Arizona and Russian scientists have detected water ice uniformly distributed in the soil of Mars' north polar regions. The amount of hydrogen detected indicates ice of 80% to 90% of soil volume. Data was used from the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey." It's worth noting that their study only detected large amounts of hydrogen; so much hydrogen that ice is figured to be the only form it could be in, although I kind of like the idea of Mars' pole covering a huge pocket of hydrogen gas.

6 of 474 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Does it constitute life? Tough call by macragge · · Score: 5, Funny

    If its anything like the movies then NASA will send Pauly Shore and Sean Astin to go dig a hole on mars. After digging for several months they will find a little green man (played by Brendan Fraser.)

    Astin and Shore will dress it up in a space suit, in order to trick NASA officials into beliving that its the forign exchange cosmonaught.

  2. So they have water... by brilinux · · Score: 5, Funny

    But honestly, who cares? To have life, you
    need earth, fire, and sky, too. They
    obviously don't have earth, as we are on Earth,
    and that is Mars. They can't have fire, as their
    minimal sky doesn't have enough oxygen.

    So they don't have the four elements necessary
    for life. I'm just going to stay here and figure
    out the first two digits of pi on my abacus.

  3. This just in by Sammich · · Score: 5, Funny

    Astronauts have again found ice on mars which scientists speculate could be evidence of life, just as they have on previous missions.

    Dj

  4. Hydrogen is light by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think I has to be pure hydrogen.

    We all know that it is a very light gas and would rise to the north pole... duh!

  5. Where there's ice, there's... by ansak · · Score: 5, Funny

    HOCKEY!

    And Canada will be happy to represent Earth in the Solar Cup Hockey championships.

    I wonder if Don Cherry will whine as much about the Martian way to play as he tends to do about Europe?

    --
    Still hoping for Gentle Treatment...
  6. Good...good by NightWulf · · Score: 5, Funny

    They found the ice I planted...soon they'll find the lost civilization, then the obilesk on europa, and then unlock the mysteries of artificial intelligence. Creating a new super race of robots that will wage war on them and enclose them in a reality emulating matrix to power their metal bodies. Yes...it's all coming together nicely...muhah hah hah