At this wedge-shaped pit on Mars, the steep slope at the northern edge exposes a cross-section of a thick sheet of underground water ice. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/UA/USGS)The researchers examined eight different exposed ice deposits on the planet spotted by the orbiter’s HiRISE camera. The researchers think the ice deposits started out as snow or frost that fell, was compacted and then recrystallized. On Mars, these exposed ice deposits are relatively young, geologically speaking — on the order of millions of years old, Dundas said. (Aug. 15, 2017) (Sign up for our free video newsletter here http://bit.ly/2n6VKPR) CAPTION The Great American Eclipse The Great American Eclipseamina.khan@latimes.comFollow @aminawrite on Twitter for more science news and "like" Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 11, 2018 19:52 UTC