Unusually high methane levels detected on Mars

Last week, the Curiosity rover detected its largest yet measurement of methane. It’s exciting because microbial life is an important source of methane on Earth, though it can also be created in other ways. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/unusually-high-methane-levels-detected-mars…

Curiosity Rover finds high levels of methane on Mars

A team working with NASA to study data the Mars Curiosity Rover has found high levels of methane at a site on the Red Planet. The existence of methane is, of course, a possible sign of life, since it is produced in abundance by microorganisms here on Earth. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-06-curiosity-rover-high-methane-mars.html…

Martian sands move in unearthly ways

Mars is a desert world, with sand dunes similar to those on Earth. But the processes that create them can be quite different from those on our planet, according to a new study from the University of Arizona. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/sand-dunes-deserts-mars-earth-hirise-mro-university-of-arizona-space…

Curiosity sees noctilucent clouds shining in Mars’ sky

Late last month, the Curiosity rover picked up wonderful images of noctilucent – or “night-shining” – clouds in the Martian sky. Plus – if you’re at a high latitude on Earth now – it’s time to start looking for these clouds. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/noctilucent-clouds-night-shining-mars-earth-2019…

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover finds a clay cache

NASA’s Curiosity rover has confirmed that the region on Mars it’s exploring, called the “clay-bearing unit,” is well deserving of its name. Two samples the rover recently drilled at rock targets called “Aberlady” and “Kilmarie” have revealed the highest amounts of clay minerals ever found during the mission. Both drill targets appear in a new selfie taken by the rover on…

Video: Fly over Curiosity’s route on Mars

Follow the route of NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover, as it moves to a new part of Mount Sharp, into an area scientists call the “clay-bearing unit”. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/video-fly-over-curiosity-mars-rover-route…

What Mars’ giant dust storm taught us

Before we send people to Mars, we need to understand more about how Martian dust could affect astronauts and their equipment. Here are 3 things we’ve learned from the planet’s 2018 global dust storm. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/understanding-mars-dust-storms…