The mysterious giant clouds spotted on Mars: Scientists left baffled by 150-mile high plumes coming off the red planet

The phenomenon was observed on March 12, 2012 over the 'terminator', which is the boundary between day and night on Mars.

One of the plumes developed in around 10 hours and lasted for 11 days, shifting shape from 'double blob protrusions' to pillars which merged into a 'finger' shape.

A second was spotted nearby on April 6, 2012, and lasted about 10 days.

'At about 155 miles (250 km), the division between the atmosphere and outer space is very thin, so the reported plumes are extremely unexpected,' says Agustin Sanchez-Lavega of the University of the Basque Country in Bilbao, Spain, who led the study .... http://www.dailymail.co.uk