Poem: Other Worlds in Haiku

Science in meter and verse

Panorama: This view of Mars's Teal Ridge was captured by NASA's Curiosity rover in 2019.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

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The following haiku, written in the traditional three-line, 17-syllable format by teams of planetary scientists, summarize research results reported at the 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, which was held virtually March 15–19, 2021.

“Detailed Chloride Mapping in Terra Sirenum, Mars”

Oceans long since past
Dry, cracked ground, no trace remains
But the taste of salt.

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—E. M. Harrington, B. B. Bultel, A. M. Krzesi□nska and S. Werner

“Identifying Landing and Sample Tube Depot Sites and Characterizing Traverse Terrains for Mars Sample Return”

Three summer interns
Helping a little rover
Return rocks from Mars.

—M. C. Deahn, M. M. Morris, C. L. Brooks, N. R. Williams, M. P. Golombek, F. J. Calef III, S. Do and A. K. Nicholas

“Are Maryland and Other Craters on CCKBO Arrokoth Compaction Craters, and Does it Matter?”

Compaction craters
Explains Arrokoth’s surface
Saves its neck from harm.

—W. B. McKinnon, X. Mao, K. N. Singer, J. T. Keane, P. M. Schenk, O. L. White, R. A. Beyer, S. B. Porter, D. T. Britt, J. R. Spencer, W. M. Grundy, J. M. Moore, S. A. Stern, H. A. Weaver, C. B. Olkin and New Horizons Science Team

“Investigating Icequakes on Enceladus Using an Antarctic Analog: Application of Seismic and Machine-Learning Techniques to Characterize Tidally Induced Seismicity along Icy Rifts”

Antarctic ice quakes
Can this then tell us how does
Enceladus shake?

—K. G. Olsen, N. C. Schmerr, M.-H. Huang, T. A. Hurford and K. M. Brunt

“Seasonal Variability of Titan’s Global Wind Field”

The gales of Titan
Oh, how they blow! What fury!
And how they do change!

—S. L. Light, M. A. Gurwell, C. A. Nixon and A. E. Thelen

“Habitability of Cloudy Worlds: Intersecting Constraints and Unknowns”

Why clouds are not green:
Where there’s water, there is life*
*Exceptions apply.

—D. M. Gentry, L. Iraci, E. Barth, K. McGouldrick and K.-L. Jessup

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