Mars (Ares in Greek), the Roman god of war, is said to have been created from Juno and Jupiter, becoming his son and giving rise to Romulus and Remus – who later founded Rome. March is named in his honor. Egyptians were the first to notice that stars appeared fixed while the sun moved relative…
Searches for life on Mars have been hindered by one simple fact: no such creatures have ever been discovered despite our best efforts. This does not indicate lack of effort on our part. One approach involves studying Deinococcus radiodurans bacteria, which have proven resilient against large doses of radiation exposure. Scientists think some microbes on…
Ancient astronomers were mystified by the Red Planet’s seemingly random movement across the sky, sometimes moving in line with its celestial neighbors (prograde motion) or in reverse (retrograde). Although Mars and Earth share many similarities, they differ greatly in many aspects. Atmosphere Mars has an extremely tenuous atmosphere with pressure that is less than 1…
Mars can be seen with the naked eye throughout most of the year and becomes easier and brighter to identify during oppositions, when Earth and Mars come closest together on their orbital paths around the Sun. Planet Earth’s surface is reddish brown in hue and covered with black volcanic sand and dark basalt rocks that…
Southern Utah’s lunar-esque desert landscape seems tailor-made for Hollywood blockbusters, while also serving as an arena where some of the brightest minds in space simulation try out ideas about what life may be like on Mars. Near Hanksville lies the Mars Desert Research Station. This remote plot of land serves as an analogue of Mars…
Mars may present an immense challenge for microorganisms living here on Earth; yet billions of years ago it may have had temperate conditions capable of supporting life. Scientists have made important discoveries through spacecraft missions and by studying rocks from Mars that have fallen to Earth, suggesting it once supported life. Recent evidence points towards…
Dust storms are a regular feature on Mars, often building into planet-engulfing clouds that last months or years. MAVEN and Odyssey use thermal cameras to monitor these duststorms with precision. At first, a spring breeze blew rusty dust through NASA’s Opportunity rover at Perseverance Valley. But then it quickly expanded and blocked out the sun…
Mars, one of the inner planets of our Solar System, is often known as “the Red Planet” due to its distinct red hue and iron oxide coating. With two natural satellites or moons named Deimos and Phobos as natural satellites or moons circling it. Also dubbed as “the Fourth Planet”, its axis of rotation tilts…
Since scientists started studying Mars, much has been learned about it. Robotic spacecraft have even orbited it and touched down on its surface. Mars is a smaller planet than Earth with lower mass, leading to reduced gravity forces and thus lower gravity forces on this world. Mass Mars, also known as “the Red Planet,” is…
