Tornados cause 'hairy blue spider' to appear on Mars
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Spider-Man may have finally found his match in outer space.
There's no spider-universe stunt double outside of this planet (sorry, Marvel fans) but a "hairy blue spider" has sprawled its "legs" on Mars, writes LiveScience.
Researchers say the so-called spider is actually a pattern left by thousands of Martian tornados that churn up dust and expose new surface material, especially on the ridges and mountains of the planet's landscape. An image captured last month by the European Space Agency shows the dramatic results of the storms.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The storm pattern isn't actually bright blue, but the orbiter's Color and Stereo Surface Imaging System translates the color of the material to better show the contrast — in reality, the "spider" looks like its superhero pal in a dark red hue.
Scientists say it's unclear why the surface materials gathered along the planet's ridges in such a striking pattern, but say Mars' mountains could contribute to intensified air flow patterns that help create tornadoes. Read more at LiveScience.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Democrats push for ICE accountabilityFeature U.S. citizens shot and violently detained by immigration agents testify at Capitol Hill hearing
-
The price of sporting gloryFeature The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics kicked off this week. Will Italy regret playing host?
-
Fulton County: A dress rehearsal for election theft?Feature Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is Trump's de facto ‘voter fraud’ czar
-
Epstein files topple law CEO, roil UK governmentSpeed Read Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, is caught up in the scandal
-
Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishesSpeed Read The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East
-
EU and India clinch trade pact amid US tariff warSpeed Read The agreement will slash tariffs on most goods over the next decade
-
Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire