Billions of years ago, Mars was much closer to Earth–with lakes, rivers, and possibly oceans–than it is today; scientists are finding evidence that suggests it might still host some form of life. Hindu astrology regards Mangal (Mars) as the son of Earth and Kartikeya, representing masculine energy within people as well as providing skills such…
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…
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….
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The instruments aboard the rover will search for organic compounds that could have provided the foundation of life on Mars and explore whether or not its environment ever supported life forms. Planners are currently deliberating whether the entire spacecraft that launched from Earth on its way to Mars should land directly, or remain in orbit…
