Four billion years ago, Mars may have had an atmosphere rich with oxygen that provided conditions conducive to life despite losing much of its atmosphere to space. Making Mars habitable doesn’t need to be an herculean undertaking – researchers say patches can be transformed quickly and affordably by layering thin silica aerogel sheets on its […]
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Scientists are still exploring whether Mars was ever home to life in its past and exploring methods to extract water from its soil. To gain a better understanding of this intriguing planet, we turned to some LSU experts for insight on its many mysteries and quarries. They provided answers to some commonly-asked questions regarding Mars.
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Mars, located four planets from the Sun and with two moons, has a reddish hue similar to our Earth. Polar ice caps and geological features suggest it once supported life on this red-hued world. Astronomers studying Mars during the 17th and 18th centuries saw evidence of civilization on Mars, including canals that appeared to carry
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NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter, commonly referred to as the Marscopter, has captured breathtaking photos of spacecraft wreckage on Mars. These pictures reveal parts of Perseverance Rover’s parachute and backshell that assisted with landing last year on this planet. Images show that most of the backshell, parachute and suspension lines made it through to land safely despite
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Mars, also known as “the Red Planet”, is the fourth planet from our Sun and often referred to by its nickname. Covered in reddish iron oxide, Mars features canyons, volcanoes and dry lake beds on its rocky surface. Additionally, its thin atmosphere contains carbon dioxide, nitrogen and trace amounts of water and methane gasses –
Since the 1960s, robot spacecraft have made repeated visits to Mars’ surface and orbit. Their findings revealed a planet featuring mountains, canyons, and the largest volcano in our solar system. Rovers such as Spirit and Opportunity explored rocks to gain insight into what composes this world and to look out for signs of water. Spirit
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Mercury quincunx Mars transit brings mental clarity, the ability to make timely and appropriate choices and an opportunity for inner growth and spiritual insight. Transits occur approximately 13 times each century in either May or November and can be identified by their visual appearance as dot-like objects moving directly between Earth and Sun, appearing as
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Since 1610, when scientists first made telescopic observations of Mars through telescopes, scientists have been mapping and studying it. Recently, three missions – China’s Tianwen-1 probe, United Arab Emirates Hope probe and NASA Perseverance rover – have used Mars’ 26 month orbital period to gather new information. Orbiters have provided more clarity, disproving theories about
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Mars remains an intriguing planet that continues to captivate human imaginations, from H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds novella to blockbuster movies about it being explored further. Mars, commonly referred to as The Red Planet due to its red hue caused by iron oxide (rust), has an average day length of 24.6 hours while one
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