New research suggests an impact recently rattled Mars deeper than thought. HiRISE images a recent impact crater in the Cerberus Fossae region, seen on March 4, 2021. Credit: NASA/MRO/HiRISE Something really rang the Red Planet’s bell. Research involving two NASA missions—the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the late InSight lander—has shed light on meteorite impacts and … Read more
A rock from space slammed into Mars in February 2021, causing seismic waves that reached NASA’s InSight spacecraft, located 1,000 miles (1,600 km) away. The impact left a 70-foot (21-meter) diameter crater and dented an area nearly a mile wide (1,600 meters). ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), using its Color and Stereo Surface Imaging … Read more
View larger. | An example of weird, dark streaks called recurring slope lineae on the slopes of Mars’ Horowitz crater. Do liquid water brines form these streaks? A new study suggested brines on Mars are less likely to occur than scientists thought. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ University of Arizona. 2025 EarthSky lunar calendar is available … Read more
When will we be able to see the planets at their best during this upcoming year of 2025? This guide will tell you. It will also provide information as to when a particular solar system planet might be passing near to another, or a bright star, as well as the constellation that each will occupy … Read more
NASA’s first two crewed Artemis moon missions have been pushed back to 2026 and 2027, respectively, and the move could have big ramifications for the agency’s Artemis program and competition with China for leadership in space. Artemis 2, which will send a crew of three Americans and a Canadian astronaut around the moon, was due … Read more
We have our best views of Mars only once every 2 years. And that time is fast approaching! Watch a replay of our livestream for more information about Mars. Mars can appear bright or faint in our sky. 2024 has been mostly a faint year, but Mars has been steadily brightening, and it’s very noticeable … Read more
In 1971, the Soviet Mars 3 lander became the first spacecraft to land on Mars, though it only lasted a couple of minutes before failing. More than 50 years later, it’s still there at Terra Sirenum. The HiRISE camera NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter may have imaged some of its hardware, inadvertently taking part in what … Read more
Scientists are calling for the cataloging of human artifacts left on Mars — from spacecraft and landers to rovers, probes, and other debris — to document humanity’s earliest steps in interplanetary exploration. “Our main argument is that Homo sapiens are currently undergoing a dispersal, which first started out of Africa, reached other continents, and has … Read more
If the weather is clear where you live on Tuesday evening (Dec. 17), look low above the east-northeast horizon at around 8:00 p.m. local standard time and you’ll see the waning gibbous moon, 89% illuminated, accompanied by a very bright and colorful star directly below it and two bright stars will above it. The two … Read more
Imagine you’ve just gotten to Mars as part of the first contingent of settlers. Your first challenge: build a long-term habitat using local materials. Those might include water from the polar caps mixed with specific surface soils. They might even require some very personal contributions—your blood, sweat, and tears. Using such in situ materials is … Read more