Galactic cosmic rays are high energy particles from explosive events like supernovae, zinging through our solar system, constantly bombarding both Earth and Mars. A researcher suggests they supply enough energy to make subsurface life on Mars possible. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/is-there-life-below-the-martian-surface…
Tag: Martian surface
Astrophysicists investigate the possibility of life below the surface of Mars
Although no life has been detected on the Martian surface, a new study from astrophysicist and research scientist Dimitra Atri at the Center for Space Science at NYU Abu Dhabi finds that conditions below the surface could potentially support it. The subsurface—which is less harsh and has traces of water—has never been explored. According to Atri, the steady bombardment of penetrating…
Rock From Mars Heads Home After 600,000 Year Odyssey Across Space
A tiny piece of Martian basalt the size of a 10p coin will be launched on board a U.S. robot probe on Thursday and propelled towards the red planet on a seven-month journey to its home world. The Guardian reports: This extraordinary odyssey, the interplanetary equivalent of sending coals to Newcastle, will form a key part of Nasa’s forthcoming Mars 2020…
The United Arab Emirates Successfully Launch a Spacecraft to Mars
The United Arab Emirates has successfully launched a spacecraft towards an orbit around Mars, reports the New York Times. Built by a space physics lab at the University of Colorado, the Hope Mars probe was tested in Dubai, before being shipped to Japan’s Tanegashima Island, where it was launched by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The launch is being streamed on the web…
Help a Mars Rover’s AI Learn to Tell Rocks From Dirt
Slashdot reader shirappu writes: For eight years now, the Mars Rover Curiosity has been exploring the surface of Mars. Even now, it’s still exploring, and still getting upgrades. According to Tech Crunch, NASA is now looking to interested volunteers to help upgrade the rover’s terrain-scanning AI systems by annotating image data of the planet itself. “The problem is that while there…
On Mars, mud flows like lava
Scientists in Europe have found that some features on Mars that were thought to be lava flows may actually have been flows of muddy water. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/mars-lava-mud-mud-volcanoes…
Pockets of salty water on Mars may be common
A new study has indicated that salty water may be more common on the Martian surface than previously believed. Mars may have once been home to rivers … Source: https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/336964/pockets-of-salty-water-on-mars-may-be-common…
These lava tubes could be the safest place for explorers to live on Mars
The Martian surface is a radiation hot zone. But ancient lava tubes might offer explorers safety from the cosmic bombardment Source: https://www.livescience.com/radiation-mars-safe-lava-tubes.html
Perseverance Mars rover scientists train in the Nevada desert
Billions of years ago, the Martian surface could have supported microbial life as we know it. But did such life ever actually exist there? NASA and its Mars 2020 mission hope to find out with the Perseverance rover, which launches to the Red Planet this summer. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-05-perseverance-mars-rover-scientists-nevada.html…
Super high-resolution Mars panorama revealed
NASA’s Curiosity rover has captured a panorama made up of over 1,000 images of the Martian surface. Taken over the course of four days by the rover’s … Source: https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/335205/super-high-resolution-mars-panorama-revealed…