Articles tagged with Mars
A University of Colorado at Boulder research team has discovered the first definitive evidence of shorelines on Mars, indicating an ancient lake that was up to 1,500 feet deep. The lake appears to have formed around 3.4 billion years ago and provides a prime target for future landing missions searching for signs of past life.
Researchers at Oklahoma State University will develop a miniature optical dating instrument (ODIN) for dating the surface of Mars. The ODIN utilizes optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), a geological dating technique, and aims to further our understanding of Martian climate and atmosphere conditions.
A new study by Imperial College London aims to use a technology initially developed for the ExoMars mission to process unconventional energy resources. The technique involves using surfactants to liberate organic matter from rock, potentially unlocking an enormous impact on the UK and global economy.
Scientists at the University of Leeds and NASA have developed a new cleaning protocol to ensure that Earth-based microorganisms don't contaminate Mars samples. The protocol was tested on various sampling devices, including rover scoops and glacial ice core drills, and found to effectively remove detectable organic biosignatures.
Scientists have discovered magnetic tornadoes on Mercury that could be replenishing its extremely thin atmosphere. These 'tornadoes' form when magnetic fields carried by the solar wind connect to Mercury's magnetic field, twisting into vortex-like structures.
A study suggests that large meteorite bombardments approximately four billion years ago could have helped to make the early Earth and Mars more habitable for life by releasing water and carbon dioxide into their atmospheres. This process may have created a warmer and wetter environment that was conducive to the emergence of life.
The rover Opportunity has revealed new insights into Mars' geologic history, including the presence of hematite spheres, sulfate-rich sandstone, and minerals commonly found in meteorites. The data supports previous findings that water once flowed on Mars' surface, with a likely underground source.
A new collection of papers explores how solar energy, winds, asteroid impacts, and changing magnetic fields shaped early Mars' environment. These findings suggest that the planet may have supported life during its history.
The Hypersonic Control Modeling and Simulation Tool (HyperCMST) will be used for control studies of planetary atmospheric entry and descent, aerodynamic orbital capture, and aerodynamic gravity assist. The tool allows engineers to model optimal control trajectories for hypersonic vehicles.
The University of Washington's DEIMOS acoustic package has joined the Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) ocean observatory to monitor movements of fish and zooplankton in Monterey Bay. The system uses an echo sounder to reveal what's in a narrow cone of water above the instrument, providing insights into ocean life dynamics.
Rice University researchers found that pockets of ancient water may still exist under Olympus Mons due to the presence of clay sediments. This could provide a habitable environment for thermophilic organisms, which thrive near geothermal vents on Earth.
A recent study by Brown University researchers has found a gully fan system on Mars that formed about 1.25 million years ago, indicating melt water from nearby snow and ice deposits. The discovery extends the time water may have been active on Mars, adding to evidence of a recent ice age.
Scientists propose that structures in Vernal Crater depict areas of ancient spring activity, creating ideal locations to search for life evidence. Hot springs are crucial target areas for future Mars missions due to their ability to preserve fossilized microbial communities.
A new lunar map created at unprecedented 15-kilometer resolution confirms very little water on the Moon, even deep in its interior. The discovery could shed light on water on other planets like Mars.
Recent research on Mars includes studies on the planet's geology and potential habitability. A new method for classifying Quaternary glacial deposits was also proposed by GSA Today's science article.
A team of NASA and university scientists has detected methane in the Martian atmosphere, indicating the planet may be biologically active. The discovery was made using spectrometers at the Infrared Telescope Facility and W.M. Keck telescope, revealing three spectral features that are a definitive signature of methane.
Researchers discovered that Martian winds create pits and hills, causing small rocks to roll forward into the wind. The process is repeated, forming regular patterns, with clusters of rocks adapting by shielding the middle or outer rocks from the wind.
A Brown University research team has discovered carbonates, a long-sought mineral that suggests Mars had neutral to alkaline waters and potentially hospitable environments for primitive life. The findings, published in Science, indicate that Mars may have had 'just right' conditions for life to thrive.
A CU-Boulder study suggests a single plume of hot material drove the migration of volcanic activity on Mars. The theory, proposed by Shijie Zhong, explains how the Tharsis Rise region formed and how the Crustal Dichotomy's crust moved relative to the underlying mantle.
Researchers at Caltech identified layered rock outcrops on Mars indicating regular climate change due to planetary tilt variations. The layers suggest that Mars experienced cyclical climate changes similar to those on Earth, which were driven by variations in the planet's obliquity.
Researchers using ground-penetrating radar on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have discovered vast Martian glaciers of water ice under protective blankets of rocky debris. The concealed glaciers extend for tens of miles and are up to one-half mile thick, making them the largest reservoir of water ice on Mars outside the polar caps.
The MARS Observatory is a deep-sea ocean observatory that allows researchers to continuously monitor the dark world of the deep sea. It enables real-time data and video transmission from instruments installed on the seafloor.
Researchers have successfully shielded spacecraft from deadly space weather using a portable magnetosphere, making a manned mission to Mars more feasible. The technology uses knowledge gained from nuclear fusion research to scatter solar wind particles away from astronauts.
CSIRO research scientist Dr John Bunton is to receive a NASA Space Act Board Award for his work on a novel 'beamformer' capable of providing a live video link from Mars. His design involves dividing video signal data into narrow channels and summing the data from all 400 antennas to reconstruct a broadband signal.
Philip R. Christensen, Regents' Professor of Geological Sciences at ASU, has been awarded the G.K. Gilbert Award for his work on remote sensing of minerals on Mars using infrared instruments. The award recognizes his discoveries, including a large deposit of hematite and silica minerals, which may offer clues about a Martian biosphere.
A new NASA-funded study from the University of Houston department of health and human performance is examining the ability of sweat patches to detect levels of chemicals that may indicate bone loss. The study aims to develop a micro-fabricated sweat patch that can perform biomarker analysis and provide immediate read-out results.
Boston University's John T. Clarke leads an engineering and astronomy team on NASA's MAVEN mission to study Martian atmosphere changes. The team aims to solve the mystery of Mars' lost atmosphere, exploring possibilities of water's escape or freezing into the planet's crust.
CU-Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics has been selected by NASA to lead the $485 million Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission. The MAVEN spacecraft will study Mars' upper atmosphere, solar wind, and ionosphere to determine its past climate and potential life.
Researchers used computer models to simulate processes forming valley networks, finding evidence for liquid water stability at the Martian surface for tens of thousands of years. The study suggests episodic flooding alternated with long dry periods, contradicting alternative theories.
Researchers found that Martian gullies resemble those in Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys, formed as recently as a few hundred thousand years ago. The study suggests changes in snow accumulation and glaciation are linked to Mars' spin obliquity, indicating dynamic climate change on the planet.
NASA's Mars exploration program aims to analyze Martian samples using tools and instruments on Earth. The program provides a critical component of bringing samples back to Earth, enabling precise measurements and definitive life-detection assays.
Two new studies reveal vast lakes, flowing rivers and various wet environments on ancient Mars, suggesting the planet may have been habitable. The discoveries were made using data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which found clay minerals and phyllosilicates in ancient highlands dating back to 4.6 billion years ago.
Researchers found evidence of a water-rich environment in ancient southern highlands of Mars, with phyllosilicate deposits indicating low-temperature mineral formation. The team's discovery suggests a benign, habitable environment during the Noachian period.
Scientists at Caltech used computer modeling to demonstrate that the Mars dichotomy can be explained by one giant impact early in the planet's history. The study found that an impact energy of around 10^29 joules, equivalent to 100 billion gigatons of TNT, would have created the lowlands and highlands on Mars.
Computer simulations support massive asteroid impact as explanation for Mars' hemispheric differences. The models suggest that an impactor about one-half to two-thirds the size of the Moon could have created the observed differences.
A new study by University of California, Berkeley researchers suggests that Mars had liquid water in its atmosphere during the Hesperian epoch, contrary to the dominant view. The analysis of Martian soil data reveals chemical signs of water moving downward through the dirt, indicating a climate with enough moisture for dew or rain.
Scientists have developed a new technique to identify organic matter in Martian soils using ultraviolet light. The method, which uses polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), has the potential to detect signs of life on Mars and could be used on future missions.
Scientists at Harvard University analyzed salt deposits in Martian rock and found that the water was more likely a thick brine with salinity exceeding terrestrial life's tolerance. The study suggests that even four billion years ago, Mars' surface would have been challenging for life.
The Phoenix Mars Mission will investigate the Martian environment, searching for signs of climate cycles and microbial life. The spacecraft will collect soil and ice samples and analyze them to understand the Red Planet's history.
Scientists at Brown University found evidence of recent glaciation on Mars, challenging the notion that the planet's active climate was confined to the distant past. The team discovered ice packs up to 2.5 kilometers thick existed along Mars' mid-latitude belt as recently as 100 million years ago.
A team of scientists has discovered chloride mineral deposits in numerous places on Mars, indicating where water was once abundant and may provide evidence for former Martian life. The deposits suggest that water flowed into basins over a long time, potentially preserving organic materials.
Scientists have discovered a possible once-habitable ancient lake on Mars using NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The image of Holden crater shows layers of fine sediments and minerals that formed in the presence of water, suggesting quiescent conditions that may preserve signatures of past habitability.
The Mars Express and Venus Express spacecraft reveal that the two planets' atmospheres are stripped away into space due to solar wind interactions. The similarity in magnetic field structure between the two planets suggests a shared ionosphere density at high altitudes.
Researchers used topographic data from NASA's HiRISE camera to determine how a flow of pure liquid water would look on the images versus an avalanche of dry granular debris. The study found that the dry granular case was the winner, suggesting that liquid water has not been found on the Martian surface within the last decade.
Researchers have reproduced Mars fan formations in a laboratory setting, suggesting brief releases of water from the planet's interior. The findings indicate that stepped fans on Mars were formed by rapid water release, rather than long-term erosion, and would require significant amounts of water.
Scientists have found that snow accumulation in western Antarctica has doubled since the 1850s, with a shift in atmospheric circulation patterns contributing to the increase. In contrast, larch trees are benefiting from warmer climates, with fire return intervals decreasing due to their dependence on fires for seed germination. Researc...
Saturn's rings exhibit fine-scale structures with periodic radial variation in optical depth, while daily fluctuations in streamflow can be influenced by flow velocity. Internal waves in the Pacific Ocean are also studied for their impact on oceanic mixing and energy transport.
Scientists have discovered a possible explanation for Mars' limestone-free climate: sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere. The greenhouse gas interfered with carbonate rock formation, but led to the creation of silicates and sulfites instead.
Harvard researchers suggest sulfur dioxide played a crucial role in maintaining Mars' warmer climate between 3.5 and 4 billion years ago. The presence of sulfur dioxide would have prevented the formation of limestone deposits, leading to the absence of carbonate on Mars today.
A Carnegie Institution-led team finds organic compounds containing carbon and hydrogen in Martian meteorite Allan Hills 84001, suggesting that building blocks of life formed on Mars early in its history. The discovery was made by analyzing the rock's association with iron oxide mineral magnetite.
New software helps NASA's Spirit rover find a safe winter haven on Mars, called Von Braun. However, the path to get there is too treacherous, with no suitable bail out spots along the route. The software uses satellite images and rover images to map features on the surface.
NASA researchers present groundbreaking discoveries on polar mesospheric clouds, Voyager 2's solar system boundary, Mars rovers' water evidence, and Northern Lights dynamics.
Researchers compare images of Mars gullies to McMurdo Dry Valleys' saltwater flows, finding similarities that suggest liquid water on Mars. The study bolsters the notion of microbial life on Mars, as bacteria thrive in the Antarctic landscape's similar conditions.
Researchers found that Mars' surface remained molten for 100 million years, implying a thick atmosphere to insulate the planet and slow cooling. This persistence is surprisingly long, with implications for the planet's early history.
Recent high-resolution images from NASA's Mars orbiters show extensive evidence of ice-made features on the planet's surface, including glacial debris and valley deposits. The findings suggest a dynamic history of Martian climate change, with water ice playing a key role in shaping the planet's geology.
NASA's CRISM instrument provides critical data for selecting a Mars rover landing site with a mineral record indicative of past water. The instrument offers 544 spectral variations to detect minerals, mapping the Martian surface in unprecedented detail.
A heat-sensitive camera has discovered seven small, deep holes on the flanks of Arsia Mons, a giant volcano on Mars. The team suggests that these holes may be openings to underground caves, formed as faults created stresses that opened spaces underground.
A new approach to detect life on Mars, based on technology similar to pregnancy test kits, was successfully launched into space. The Life Marker Chip experiment has the potential to detect trace levels of biomarkers in the Martian environment.
The UK Space Exploration Working Group recommends involvement in both human and robotic elements of space exploration to play a full role in the century's unique opportunities. The report stresses the need for a new vision, suggesting preparatory human space flight activities and maintaining UK's significant role in planetary science.
Scientists using the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer instrument have observed fluctuations in argon composition of the Martian atmosphere. The study reveals a constant change in the ratio of argon to carbon dioxide as winter sets in at one of the poles, indicating mixing between polar air and tropics.