this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2024
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And Finally...

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The European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter has spotted "spiders" on the Red Planet's southern polar region.

But they're not the arachnids we fear or adore back on Earth — they're the result of a complex geological process that causes carbon dioxide to sublimate, digging up darker material from below the surface during the planet's spring.

And they're a whole lot larger than the spiders you're used to, measuring up to 3,300 feet across.

...

Many of these spots have been found outside of a Martian landscape dubbed Inca City (formally Angustus Labyrinthus) thanks to its geometric ridges that summon to mind Inca ruins.

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[–] Hossenfeffer 16 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Spoiler alert: the orbiter has not spotted spiders on the surface of Mars.

[–] DarkThoughts@fedia.io 8 points 7 months ago

I'm a huge space nerd, but I absolutely hate space related news because they're pretty much all just some dumb clickbait bullshit. I'm surprised they didn't call those "spiders" mysterious.

[–] Emperor 3 points 7 months ago

And the Inca City isn't a city and is not related to the Incas. Or that's what The Man would have you believe.

[–] rubikcuber 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I, for one, welcome our new arachnid overlords.

[–] HumanPenguin 0 points 7 months ago

If large enough to be spotted from orbit.

I'm fairly sure they don't care what there pepperoni slices think.