Does Mars have Pimples? NASA's MRO HiRise Team Says "No!"

Acne that is widespread on a person's face does not usually affect rocks or outer space objects, mainly because the bumps are primarily caused by hair follicles that become blocked with oil or dirt. However, there appears to be a breakout over at the neighboring planet, Mars, in a recent image taken by the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) HiRise camera. Just kidding though - these are not actually real acne or Mars pimples. Instead, these are optical illusions that give such an impression, similar to the annoying bumps on a person's face.

The NASA MRO HiRise Team says they aren't Mars pimples

Last August, the NASA MRO HiRise camera observed an anomaly in Mars' Southern pole that mimics newly formed acne or pimples on the planet's surface. As a result, the HiRise team investigated, probed, and has now made it clear that these depressions, which became craters on the planet, are not pimples or organic material from beneath its rocks. [caption id="attachment_58541" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] image credit: flipboard[/caption] Instead, these "pimples" are space rocks that fragmented and fell on the planet in chunks, as confirmed by the NASA team and the University of Arizona. It is one large boulder slamming onto Mars, which then fragmented on its descent, producing clumps and covering the surface in carbon dioxide ice, completing the pimple look.

Mars' peculiar sights make it different from our planet among other things

Mars is not immune to strange and peculiar sights as it produces several distinctive structures or phenomena that are novel to human astronomers who study and analyze the planet. On another note, there are still significant distinctions between Mars and the Earth despite the fact that it is a member of the Solar System, close to the Earth, and has a rocky surface in contrast to Jupiter and the gaseous planets. [caption id="attachment_58542" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] image credit: cnet[/caption] One of the primary indicators is how time is interpreted on Mars, where it takes significantly longer to complete its full rotation on its axis and one revolution around the Sun than it does on Earth. Additionally, it is known as a "Sol" rather than a day and is 39 minutes and 35 seconds longer than the conventional 24-hour day on Earth. Moreover, the topography of Mars is also unique, particularly because it is covered in rocks and iron, which gives the atmosphere a reddish appearance to the cameras and eyes that can see it. In addition, its River Delta contains unidentified organic material, which various organisms scientists believe used as a breeding ground. [caption id="attachment_58543" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] image credit: universetoday[/caption] On the other hand, the Mars Pimple is merely an optical illusion caused by the craters and ridges of the Red Planet, which make it appear different from other places on it. Besides, it does resemble Mars' acnes when paired with carbon dioxide ice deposits on top of them, but it is very different and consists of clusters of space rocks that broke down and fell to the planet's surface.