Mars Up Close

Ever since Spirit and Opportunity began relaying images and data from Mars in January 2004, geologists following their explorations from Earth have employed a lexicon unusual for scientists, referring to martian "blueberries," "popcorn," and "deep-fried," "batter-coated" blobs, among other things. Because the intrepid Mars Exploration Rovers are discovering a landscape littered with formations experts have never dreamed of let alone seen before, they've rapidly developed new terminology and new perspectives on the central question of the mission: Did liquid water ever flow on Mars? In this narrated tour, allow Steve Squyres, the mission's principal science investigator, to guide you through a handful of each rover's most stunning and outlandish finds and hear for yourself the many reasons why scientists now feel certain that Mars did indeed have a wet past. To launch the audio slide show, click on the image at left.—Lexi Krock and David Levin

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© | Created November 2008