Scientists Say "Kidney Bean" Fossils on Mars Hint at Past Life Support
While they look like kidney beans, the structures in Mars' northern hemisphere are actually sand dunes blanketed with carbon dioxide ice. The severity of winter temperatures on Mars relies on the planet’s axial tilt. When the northern hemisphere of Mars tilts closer to the Sun, it experiences milder conditions; conversely, when it tilts away, it becomes colder. When the temperature increases sufficiently, the CO2 ice transforms into vapor and ascends into the atmosphere. Times when this greenhouse gas led to a denser atmosphere provided the potential for liquid water on Mars, possibly supporting life. Structures resembling oversized kidney beans (or blobs of chocolate syrup, based on your perspective) could potentially indicate certain conditions. Mars was habitable in the distant past. Recently imaged by the HiRISE The High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) reveals these formations re...