MSL Curiosity
Life Probably Played No Role in Mars’ Organic Matter
The Martian surface shows ample evidence of its warm, watery past. Deltas, ancient lakebeds, and dry river channels are plentiful.…
New Answers for Mars’ Methane Mystery
Planetary scientists perk up whenever methane is mentioned. Methane is produced by living things on Earth, so it's considered to…
Curiosity has Reached an Ancient Debris Channel That Could Have Been Formed by Water
Like a pilgrim seeking wisdom, NASA's MSL Curiosity has been working its way up Mt. Sharp, the dominant central feature…
Mars’ Gale Crater was Filled with Water for Much Longer Than Anyone Thought
Even with all we've learned about Mars in recent years, it doesn't stack up against all we still don't know…
Curiosity Finds Another Metal Meteorite on Mars
MSL Curiosity is going about its business exploring Mars. The high-tech rover is currently exploring the sulphate-bearing unit on Mt.…
There are Natural Features on Mars That Could Serve as Radiation Shelters
Mars is bombarded with radiation. Without a protective magnetic shield and a thick atmosphere like Earth's, radiation from space has…
Curiosity Finds Organic Molecules That Could Have Been Produced by Life on Mars
What do coal, crude oil, and truffles have in common? Go ahead. We'll wait. The answer is thiophenes, a molecule…
Molecular Oxygen on Mars is Behaving Unusually Through the Seasons. A Sign of Life?
An atmospheric drama has been playing out on Mars lately. Up until now, the main actor has been methane, and…
There’s the Curiosity Rover, On the Move, Seen from Space
If the Curiosity rover was paranoid, would it feel like it was being watched? Well, it is being watched, by…
Pictures from Curiosity Show the Bottom of an Ancient Lake on Mars, the Perfect Place to Search for Evidence of Past Life
It's all about the detail. In a way, Mars looks like a dusty, dead, dry, boring planet. But science says…