Ice, found by NASA on Mercury.

[Deleted]

http://www.space.com/18687-water-ice...discovery.html
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-3...ts-say/4401698

Rejoice. They found Ice and Organic Materials. They say the Organic Material came from Asteroids, Comets, just like on Earth.
They found it on the Northern Pole, but suspect the same can be found in the South Pole. They are planning to send the probe Messenger in for a better look.

[Deleted]

Weird... if true this will change everything. I thought mercury was too close to the Sun to have any ice of any kind.

[Deleted]

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Edit; I was actually curious whether people get infractions from these, nice to see they do Sorry for the spam. Hooray for working moderation!

[Black Cascade]

Weird... if true this will change everything. I thought mercury was too close to the Sun to have any ice of any kind.

The side facing the sun is scorched indeed. However, the side facing away from the sun is frozen.

[Deleted]

The side facing the sun is scorched indeed. However, the side facing away from the sun is frozen.

Wait, does that mean that Mercury is tidally locked, with one side permenantly facing the sun, and not revolving like the Earth does? o.O

If so, what's the closest we can analyse the "Goldilock" zone where, theoretically, some form of liquid water could exist?

[Deleted]

The ice was found on the poles, so the side facing the sun is irrelevant.
There are deep craters on the poles whose deepest parts never get any direct sunlight due to Mercury having next to none Axis tilt.

[Puck]

So does that potentially mean all Life on Earth has an Alien common ancestor?

[Fincayra]

So does that potentially mean all Life on Earth has an Alien common ancestor?

all it means is that ice was found on mercury. It doesn't have any implications on earth and its life whatsoever....

[Ariselia]

All this talk about Curiosity on Mars but Mercury felt neglected and had to step in

[Keosen]

all it means is that ice was found on mercury. It doesn't have any implications on earth and its life whatsoever....

Wrong.
It's just another confirmation of the panspermia theory, nothing groundbreaking but interesting nevertheless.

[Puck]

all it means is that ice was found on mercury. It doesn't have any implications on earth and its life whatsoever....

They found organic materials, no? Earth was barren and lifeless-------> Asteroid with primitive life hits earth--------> earth location in the solar system ideal and able to support life------> Organic life on asteroid flourishes.

[Anakso]

Wait, does that mean that Mercury is tidally locked, with one side permenantly facing the sun, and not revolving like the Earth does? o.O

If so, what's the closest we can analyse the "Goldilock" zone where, theoretically, some form of liquid water could exist?

No, Mercury isn't tidally locked: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury...rbit_resonance
It used to be thought that it was, but now we know it rotates three times for every 2 rotations around the sun.

The ice is found at the poles anyway.

---------- Post added 2012-11-30 at 07:52 PM ----------

They found organic materials, no? Earth was barren and lifeless-------> Asteroid with primitive life hits earth--------> earth location in the solar system ideal and able to support life------> Organic life on asteroid flourishes.

It doesn't imply that at all. That's one possibility people have theorized could have started life on earth, but finding ice or even organic material on mercury in no way proves that.

[john duo]

who cares about mercury?
who cares about mars?

is that where our money go to? finding ice deep in a hole on planets long confirmed dead? with no magnetic shield that blew away thier atmosphere long ago and so there is no water or oxigen?

better put this money into the right direction of finding us another planet and advance our space travel technolagy.

the moon is drifting away from us , without it , we are facing real harsh future if any...our magnetic shield has a hole in it..without it our fate will be like mars..

stop wasting time and money building probes and sending them to look for ice in our system...its pointless

[Ariselia]

They found organic materials, no? Earth was barren and lifeless-------> Asteroid with primitive life hits earth--------> earth location in the solar system ideal and able to support life------> Organic life on asteroid flourishes.

As there is no scientific answer for how life started on Earth, this is a possibility as well.

[Keosen]

who cares about mercury?
who cares about mars?

is that where our money go to? finding ice deep in a hole on planets long confirmed dead? with no magnetic shield that blew away thier atmosphere long ago and so there is no water or oxigen?

better put this money into the right direction of finding us another planet and advance our space travel technolagy.

the moon is drifting away from us , without it , we are facing real harsh future if any...our magnetic shield has a hole in it..without it our fate will be like mars..

stop wasting time and money building probes and sending them to look for ice in our system...its pointless

This post gave me cancer.

[Puck]

It doesn't imply that at all. That's one possibility people have theorized could have started life on earth, but finding ice or even organic material on mercury in no way proves that.

It potentially proves that organic life can be transported successfully via asteroid which gives the theory more ground.

[Anakso]

It potentially proves that organic life can be transported successfully via asteroid which gives the theory more ground.

I think tardigrades kind of already proved that
Though I don't really like that theory at all, because it only answers half of the question, how life started on earth but it doesn't answer how it started.

[Jawless Jones]

who cares about mercury?
who cares about mars?

is that where our money go to? finding ice deep in a hole on planets long confirmed dead? with no magnetic shield that blew away thier atmosphere long ago and so there is no water or oxigen?

better put this money into the right direction of finding us another planet and advance our space travel technolagy.

the moon is drifting away from us , without it , we are facing real harsh future if any...our magnetic shield has a hole in it..without it our fate will be like mars..

stop wasting time and money building probes and sending them to look for ice in our system...its pointless

the moon drifting away form us, if i remember correctly, would only result in different tidal waters

and as i live in the country that is under the ozone layer i can tell you, the only thing that you have to do to counter it is wear more sunblock...

"whos cares about mars?"
"who cares about mercury?"
as Brann Bronzebeard would say "Inquiring minds just got to know!"

[Trunksee]

Nice to find but really who cares? Is it really worth funding on a place we know is usless to us. Until we have a way to travel to these places is there any real point? Science is fun and all and i have no problem with private funding for stuff lkke this but ill bet is a waste of some governments funding.

[Anakso]

who cares about mercury?
who cares about mars?

is that where our money go to? finding ice deep in a hole on planets long confirmed dead? with no magnetic shield that blew away thier atmosphere long ago and so there is no water or oxigen?

better put this money into the right direction of finding us another planet and advance our space travel technolagy.

the moon is drifting away from us , without it , we are facing real harsh future if any...our magnetic shield has a hole in it..without it our fate will be like mars..

stop wasting time and money building probes and sending them to look for ice in our system...its pointless

The money is going back into the economy, of course, and scientific advancement like this is probably one of the most important things we can do right now. At least in my opinion it is. Where there is ice there may be water, and if there isn't then there is definitely a source for water. Where there is water, there is a chance we can go there.

To find another planet and advance space travel technology as you put it, we must first do things like this. It's how we know what's out there.