Is there a star man, waiting in the sky?

Is there life on Mars? asked David Bowie once. Well, Dave, there just just be.

New evidence uncovered by scientists (you just knew it would be them) has revealed that the northern half of Mars was once covered by a vast sea.

The large body of water was fed through rivers carrying rainwater, scientists believe. These created a network of valleys on the surface of the planet more than twice as extensive as previously thought.

The findings come just a week after Nasa, the American space agency, announced that they had found water on the surface of the Red Planet, raising hopes of finding life on Mars. The extent of the Martian valleys, and what they mean for the chances of life on the planet, have been hotly debated since they were first discovered by the Mariner 9 Spacecraft in 1971.

Until now the only map of the networks was drawn by hand from satellite images in the 1990s. These led some scientists to claim that the valleys were carved not by rivers but by "groundwater sapping", small amounts of water springing or seeping out of the ground.
But the new evidence of the sheer scale of the network suggests that that is unlikely.

Scientists now believe that the rivers fed an ocean which covered around one third of the entire surface of Mars.

Read more on the Times website here

One area where there is a lot of life, and a good deal of sea for that matter, is Anna Maria Island, a gem of a place on Florida's Gulf Coast. To find out more, and stay in one of the island's very best rental properties, visit www.annamaria.com

Fly to Florida for less than a buck!

Not strictly map news, but worth sharing if you're anywhere near Owensboro, KY.

Allegiant Air is offering a deal to help Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport get a $1 million grant. The airline is offering flights from Owensboro to Orlando for $9.99. In order for the airport to get the FAA money, 10,000 passengers must fly out of Owensboro by the end of 2009.

Officials said without this boost, they could fall short, and the grant will drop to $150,000.
Allegiant Air is also offering additional holiday flights.

Here is a schedule of the $9.99 flights:
12/16: 9:20 a.m.
12/18 11:20 a.m.
12/19 10:20 a.m.
12/20 11:20 a.m.
12/22 11:20 a.m.
12/23 10:20 a.m.
12/26 10:20 a.m.
12/28 11:20 a.m.
12/30 10:20 a.m.
1/1 9:20 a.m.
1/2 10:20 a.m.
1/4 9:20 a.m.
1/5 11:20 a.m.

Now we know a good deal when we see one, and this is a good deal. It's almost worth moving to Owensboro for, just to take advantage. Check out the link here

Come to Florida, stay on Anna Maria Island, and do so in the finest comfort you can imagine with Anna Maria Vacations. Check out our stunning properties at www.annamaria.com