First lightning...now lakes!
http://www.colorado.edu/news/r/7e9c22ec0cd...4ed2e29f16.html

--- moved from the "lightning thread".

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/200...a-uoc061709.php

Where are the actual HiRISE images?

Here is a link to a paper from the 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2009):

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2009/pdf/1939.pdf

hirise images:

PSP_009683_1830
PSP_010316_1830

This article includes 2 HIRISE images:

http://www.universetoday.com/2009/06/17/lo...nds-it-on-mars/

Wiki has a short blurb on it too, along with a map:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oxia_Palus_Map.JPG

Wasn't Aram Chaos originally one of the possible landing sites for MSL? Was this site eliminated because it was considered too risky for landing?

Marz, yes it was.

Landing sites

Landing sites

Now looks like an Imperial College London team lead by Dr Nicholas Warner have found evidence of up to 20km size lakes in certain equatorial areas such as Ares Valles in the Hesperian at around the 3 billion year mark using HiRise pictures. I think that pushes evidence for significant bodies of liquid water on Mars forward by about 800 m years. Go here for the original press release from Imperial College.

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspg...-11-24-24#fni-4

"......the researchers analysed the depressions and discovered a series of small sinuous channels that connected them together. The researchers say these channels could only be formed by running water, and not by ice turning directly into gas." Check links to HiRise Pics etc at the end of the press release showing the channels. V interesting - as soon as I get time I am going to check out the original HiRise pics. Could be a great landing area - good elevation characteristics too.