Mars turned red due to grinding rocks, not waterSeptember 19th, 2009 LONDON - Recent laboratory studies have shown that Mars is not red due to the rocks being rusted by the water that once flooded the planet, but due to the ongoing grinding of surface rocks, which forms the red dust. These findings, which open up the debate about the history of water on Mars and whether it has ever been habitable, have been presented at the European Planetary Science Congress by Dr.
Wind speeds and directions in Martian polar region measured for first timeSeptember 17th, 2009 LONDON - The Phoenix lander's Telltale instrument has measured for the first time wind speeds and directions in the Mars polar region. While these winds appeared to be dominated by turbulence, the highest wind speeds recorded of up to nearly 60 kilometers per hour coincided with the passing of weather systems, when also the number of dust devils increased by an order of magnitude.
Mission Mars between 2013 to 2015: ISRO chiefAugust 31st, 2009 PANAJI - India will undertake Mission Mars between 2013 to 2015, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief G. Madhavan Nair said here Monday.
New evidence points towards recent ice age on MarsAugust 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new research, scientists have found evidence on the Martian terrain that points towards a recent ice age on the Red Planet. The research, by Samuel C.
NASA orbiter shows angled view of Martian craterAugust 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The high-resolution camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has returned a dramatic oblique view of the Martian crater that a rover explored for two years. The new view of Victoria Crater shows layers on steep crater walls, difficult to see from straight overhead, plus wheel tracks left by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity between September 2005 and August 2007.
Martian dust storms can generate lightningAugust 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists, using a new detector, have for the first time observed evidence that Martian dust storms can generate lightning. Dust storms on Earth build up an electric field as dust particles collide, and then emit lightning as the electric field discharges.
Why Martian dust is so clingyJuly 20th, 2009 LONDON - In a new research, scientists have attributed the clinginess of Martian dust to electrons jumping back and forth between dust grains as they collide in the wind. he research became necessary as many probes sent to the Red Planet, like the Mars rover Spirit, get stuck in Martian soil.
Giant Martian egg cups could be used to trace the Red Planet's climateJuly 14th, 2009 LONDON - A new study has suggested that craters embedded on pedestals that tower above the Martian landscape like giant egg cups could be used to trace the planet's climate. 'Pedestal' craters were gouged out by impacts, like other craters, but stand out because they sit atop plateaus that loom an average of 50 metres above the Martian surface.
Factors other than trapped ice limit dune movement on MarsJuly 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A study has determined that snow and ice trapped inside dunes on Mars does not entirely stop their movement, a finding which indicates that other factors are limiting the dune movement. Planetary scientists have monitored some Martian sand dunes for more than 30 years, and the dunes have not moved during that time, leading scientists to question whether snow and ice trapped inside the dunes might be preventing movement.
Mountain snow melts earlier, changing growth patterns, due to blowing dustJune 29th, 2009 Increasing dust speeds melting of mountain snowWASHINGTON — Dust in the wind is rewriting the cycle of life in the mountains. Throughout memory the warmth of spring has begun the mountain snowmelt, bringing life-giving water to greening plants so they can blossom and renew their species.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in safe mode; space disturbance likely caused computer rebootJune 5th, 2009 Mars orbiter enters safe mode after disturbancePASADENA, Calif. — NASA says its powerful Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is in safe mode after being hit by a cosmic ray or solar particle.
A dust storm brews on the Red PlanetApril 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists at Arizona State University's Mars Space Flight Facility are using the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter to monitor a new dust storm that has erupted on the Red Planet. The dust storm began in mid-March 2009, in the large Southern Hemisphere impact basin named Hellas.
Mars spacecraft teams on alert for dust-storm seasonApril 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The teams operating NASA's twin Mars rovers is on alert for an upcoming dust storm season, which could be severe enough to minimize activities of the rovers. On April 21, Mars will be at the closest point to the Sun in the planet's 23-month, elliptical orbit.
Evidence of salt water found on Mars, scientists sayMarch 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A group of scientists who worked on the Phoenix Mars lander last year say they have found evidence of liquid salt water on the red planet. An analysis of photographs from the lander that explored Mars for six months shows drops of what could be salty, liquid water on the legs of the lander.
Mars rovers exceed all expectations to mark fifth birthdaysJanuary 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - When the Spirit rover landed on Mars five years ago, no one expected it or its sister rover Opportunity to make it to their first birthdays, let alone their fifth. The rovers had predicted life spans of just 90 days, but instead US space agency NASA this month marks the fifth anniversary of the mission that is still going strong.
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