Mars
The Colorful Walls of an Exposed Impact Crater on Mars
Impact craters have been called the “poor geologists’ drill,” since they allow scientists to look beneath to the subsurface of…
Machine Learning Software is Now Doing the Exhausting Task of Counting Craters On Mars
Does the life of an astronomer or planetary scientists seem exciting? Sitting in an observatory, sipping warm cocoa, with high-tech…
Chitin Could be the Perfect Building Material on Mars
It's hard to deny that we're heading for a future with a human presence on Mars. But to develop sustained…
Our Complete Guide to Mars Opposition Season 2020
Grab your telescope: when it comes to astronomy, 2020 saved the best for last, with a fine opposition of the…
Sunrises Across the Solar System
Scientists have learned a lot about the atmospheres on various worlds in our Solar System simply from planetary sunrises or…
Can you tell the difference between California, Venus, Titan and Mars? Hint: California is the one with buildings.
Californians woke up to an alien-looking sky this morning, Wednesday, September 9, 2020. (more…)
It Rained So Hard on Ancient Mars that Craters Filled Up and Overflowed
Figuring out the ancient climate on Mars has been tricky. While evidence gathered from orbit and on the surface seems…
Lava Tubes on the Moon and Mars are Really, Really Big. Big Enough to Fit an Entire Planetary Base
Could lava tubes on the Moon and Mars play a role in establishing a human presence on those worlds? Possibly,…
The Martian Sky Pulses in Ultraviolet Every Night
There’s a surprising phenomenon taking place in Mars’ atmosphere: during the spring and fall seasons on the Red Planet, large…
Martian Features Were Carved by Glaciers, not Flowing Rivers
Orbiters are giving us a chance to study the surface of Mars closely, and some of the features that pop…