Forbidden Frost on Mars: Water Ice Discovered at Equator, Challenging Scientific Beliefs

• Scientists discovered water frost at the Martian equator, a region previously thought too warm for its existence due to high temperatures and thin atmosphere.
• The frost, found in the Tharsis volcanic region, is incredibly thin (human hair thickness) but covers a vast area, holding water equivalent to 60 Olympic swimming pools.
• The discovery was made by Adomas Valantinas using data from ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and Mars Express spacecraft.
• Dubbed "forbidden frost," it forms for a few hours around sunrise in microclimates within volcanic calderas, created by winds carrying moist air.
• This finding is significant for understanding Mars' water cycle and has implications for future human and robotic exploration of the planet.

Why It Matters: Unexpected water frost at Mars' equator challenges scientific understanding and offers new insights into the planet's water cycle.