Moroccan Meteorite May Be a 4.4-Billion-Year-Old Chunk of Martian Crust
Mars is often referred to as the Red Planet, but its signature color is only skin-deep. Beneath its rusty regolith, Mars has many other hues, including large dark regions formed by ancient lava flows. Now, researchers believe they may have found a pieceof Mars’ dark plains here on Earth, in the form of a meteorite…
An Ocean On Pluto’s Moon? Scientists Will Keep An Eye Out For Cracks.
It’s a lot of speculation right now, but the buzz in a new NASA study is Pluto’s largest moon (Charon) could have a cracked surface. Above: Pluto and some of its moons, as viewed from the surface of one of the moons. Pluto is the large disk at center. Charon is the smaller disk to…
New Images Show a “Living” Mars
Over the years, scientists have found evidence revealing that an ocean may have covered parts of the Red Planet billions of years ago. Others suggest that a future terraformed Mars could be lush with oceans and vegetation. In either scenario, what would Mars look like as a planet alive with water and life? By combining…
NASA’s 2020 Plan for Mars Makes the Old New Again
The Curiosity rover is just four months into its primary two-year mission on Mars, and already NASA is planning sequels. The Agency announced yesterday plans for a series of Martian missions that will culminate in 2020 with the launch of a new robotic science rover based largely on Curiosity’s design. If its mission outline unfolds…