Mars Study
- All
- News
- Videos
-
'PlanetVac': NASA's Vacuum Cleaner To Collect Soil Samples In Seconds
NASA is introducing a groundbreaking technology, the Lunar PlanetVac (LPV), which will change how scientists collect and study soil and rock samples on the Moon and other planets.
-
Newly Discovered Oxygen Reaction Existed in Primitive Atmosphere, Sheds Light on Origin of Life
Scientists have uncovered a new way oxygen could form in carbon dioxide-rich atmospheres without the involvement of life. The discovery, led by researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China, shows that a reaction between helium ions and CO2 can produce molecular oxygen. This process challenges traditional methods of life detect...
-
Mars' Hidden Methane Deposits Could Be Underneath the Crust, Host Alien Life
Scientists have identified regions on Mars where conditions might support microbial life beneath the surface. Seasonal methane variations and Earth-based studies of similar environments suggest underground habitats such as Acidalia Planitia could hold the key. Methanogens, microbes that produce methane, thrive in extreme conditions on Earth, like s...
-
New Study Reveals Incredible Microbial Life Deep Under Earth’s Surface
A groundbreaking study published in Science Advances has revealed the extensive microbial life thriving beneath Earth's surface. The research led by Emil Ruff uncovers diverse ecosystems at depths of up to 4,375 metres, challenging previous assumptions about energy limitations in deep environments. It also suggests that Earth's subsurface microbes ...
-
Mars Dust Storms May Be Predictable Based on Surface Heating Patterns
A new study suggests warm days on Mars often precede dust storms, with researchers analysing data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The findings show 78% of storms correlate with increased solar heating, particularly in northern regions of the planet. Scientists have developed an algorithm predicting certain storm types with 64% confidence, ...
-
Cosmic Rays Could Erase Signs of Life on Mars, Study Reveals
A new study highlights how cosmic radiation is destroying signs of ancient life on Mars. Organic materials like lipids degrade quickly under radiation, especially in salt-rich environments. Scientists suggest future Mars exploration should focus on deeper drilling, such as ESA's upcoming Rosalind Franklin Rover mission, to avoid surface radiation e...
-
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Set to Target Spiderweb-Like 'Boxworks Deposits' on Mars' Surface
NASA’s Curiosity rover is set to explore Martian "spiderweb" formations, known as boxwork, which may reveal secrets about the planet’s ancient watery past. These unique structures, first observed decades ago, could help scientists understand Mars' history of water and the potential for past life. The rover’s investigation aims to study minera...
-
Super-Earth In the Solar System Could Have Rendered Our Planet Uninhabitable, Says Study
A recent study explores a hypothetical super-Earth between Mars and Jupiter, revealing its severe impact on Earth's orbit and climate. Conducted by Florida Institute of Technology scientists Emily Simpson and Howard Chen, the simulation demonstrates how such a planet’s gravity could destabilise neighbouring planets, causing erratic orbits and ext...
-
Mars' Moons Might Have Been Created From Asteroids Coming Too Close to the Red Planet
A study published in Icarus explores the possibility that Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos, formed from asteroid debris torn apart by the planet’s gravitational forces. Researchers ran advanced simulations to propose this scenario, which fits the moons’ circular orbits better than previous theories. Japan’s upcoming MMX mission is expected to...
-
NASA Europa Clipper Advances Toward Jupiter’s Moon, Instruments Successfully Deployed
NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, launched in October 2024, is journeying toward Jupiter’s moon Europa to study its icy surface and hidden ocean. Currently over 13 million miles from Earth, the spacecraft has successfully deployed its solar arrays, magnetometer boom, and radar antennas. It will use a gravity assist from Mars in March 2025 to ad...
-
Evidence of Hot Water on Mars Found in Ancient Meteorite From Early Days of Solar System
Evidence of ancient hot water activity on Mars has been found in a 4.45-billion-year-old zircon grain from the NWA7034 meteorite. The findings, detailed in Science Advances, reveal that hydrothermal systems were active on Mars during the Pre-Noachian period. Researchers suggest these systems, essential for life on Earth, could have made Mars habita...
-
Mars’ Moons Phobos and Deimos Could Be Asteroid Debris, New Study Reveals
New research proposes that Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos, could have originated from an asteroid torn apart by the planet’s gravity. Simulations show that this shredded asteroid could have formed a ring around Mars, eventually coalescing into the moons. The theory is being tested through the upcoming Mars Moons Exploration mission, which could...
-
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Concludes Sulphur Study in Gediz Vallis; Mars Journey Continues
NASA’s Curiosity rover has completed its study of Mars’ Gediz Vallis channel, capturing key images of the sulphur deposits discovered within. The rover's next mission will explore a unique geological formation called the Boxwork. Located in the foothills of Mount Sharp, Gediz Vallis is important for understanding the transition from Mars’ wet...
-
China's Zhurong Rover Helps Find Evidence of Potential Ancient Shoreline on Mars
China's Zhurong rover has found what might be the shoreline of an ancient Martian ocean, offering fresh support for theories that Mars once had vast bodies of water. Studying images and radar data from Utopia Planitia, the largest impact basin on Mars, scientists identified geological features that resemble coastlines, including pitted cones, troug...
-
New Research Reveals How Dynamo Reversals Impact Mars Magnetic Fields
Recent research in Nature Communications suggests that weak magnetic fields above Martian basins may stem from prolonged dynamo reversals, which reduce field strength over time. Through cooling models, scientists revealed that these reversing processes could account for Mars’s unique magnetic history, rather than indicating an early shutdown of t...
-
'PlanetVac': NASA's Vacuum Cleaner To Collect Soil Samples In Seconds
NASA is introducing a groundbreaking technology, the Lunar PlanetVac (LPV), which will change how scientists collect and study soil and rock samples on the Moon and other planets.
-
Newly Discovered Oxygen Reaction Existed in Primitive Atmosphere, Sheds Light on Origin of Life
Scientists have uncovered a new way oxygen could form in carbon dioxide-rich atmospheres without the involvement of life. The discovery, led by researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China, shows that a reaction between helium ions and CO2 can produce molecular oxygen. This process challenges traditional methods of life detect...
-
Mars' Hidden Methane Deposits Could Be Underneath the Crust, Host Alien Life
Scientists have identified regions on Mars where conditions might support microbial life beneath the surface. Seasonal methane variations and Earth-based studies of similar environments suggest underground habitats such as Acidalia Planitia could hold the key. Methanogens, microbes that produce methane, thrive in extreme conditions on Earth, like s...
-
New Study Reveals Incredible Microbial Life Deep Under Earth’s Surface
A groundbreaking study published in Science Advances has revealed the extensive microbial life thriving beneath Earth's surface. The research led by Emil Ruff uncovers diverse ecosystems at depths of up to 4,375 metres, challenging previous assumptions about energy limitations in deep environments. It also suggests that Earth's subsurface microbes ...
-
Mars Dust Storms May Be Predictable Based on Surface Heating Patterns
A new study suggests warm days on Mars often precede dust storms, with researchers analysing data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The findings show 78% of storms correlate with increased solar heating, particularly in northern regions of the planet. Scientists have developed an algorithm predicting certain storm types with 64% confidence, ...
-
Cosmic Rays Could Erase Signs of Life on Mars, Study Reveals
A new study highlights how cosmic radiation is destroying signs of ancient life on Mars. Organic materials like lipids degrade quickly under radiation, especially in salt-rich environments. Scientists suggest future Mars exploration should focus on deeper drilling, such as ESA's upcoming Rosalind Franklin Rover mission, to avoid surface radiation e...
-
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Set to Target Spiderweb-Like 'Boxworks Deposits' on Mars' Surface
NASA’s Curiosity rover is set to explore Martian "spiderweb" formations, known as boxwork, which may reveal secrets about the planet’s ancient watery past. These unique structures, first observed decades ago, could help scientists understand Mars' history of water and the potential for past life. The rover’s investigation aims to study minera...
-
Super-Earth In the Solar System Could Have Rendered Our Planet Uninhabitable, Says Study
A recent study explores a hypothetical super-Earth between Mars and Jupiter, revealing its severe impact on Earth's orbit and climate. Conducted by Florida Institute of Technology scientists Emily Simpson and Howard Chen, the simulation demonstrates how such a planet’s gravity could destabilise neighbouring planets, causing erratic orbits and ext...
-
Mars' Moons Might Have Been Created From Asteroids Coming Too Close to the Red Planet
A study published in Icarus explores the possibility that Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos, formed from asteroid debris torn apart by the planet’s gravitational forces. Researchers ran advanced simulations to propose this scenario, which fits the moons’ circular orbits better than previous theories. Japan’s upcoming MMX mission is expected to...
-
NASA Europa Clipper Advances Toward Jupiter’s Moon, Instruments Successfully Deployed
NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, launched in October 2024, is journeying toward Jupiter’s moon Europa to study its icy surface and hidden ocean. Currently over 13 million miles from Earth, the spacecraft has successfully deployed its solar arrays, magnetometer boom, and radar antennas. It will use a gravity assist from Mars in March 2025 to ad...
-
Evidence of Hot Water on Mars Found in Ancient Meteorite From Early Days of Solar System
Evidence of ancient hot water activity on Mars has been found in a 4.45-billion-year-old zircon grain from the NWA7034 meteorite. The findings, detailed in Science Advances, reveal that hydrothermal systems were active on Mars during the Pre-Noachian period. Researchers suggest these systems, essential for life on Earth, could have made Mars habita...
-
Mars’ Moons Phobos and Deimos Could Be Asteroid Debris, New Study Reveals
New research proposes that Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos, could have originated from an asteroid torn apart by the planet’s gravity. Simulations show that this shredded asteroid could have formed a ring around Mars, eventually coalescing into the moons. The theory is being tested through the upcoming Mars Moons Exploration mission, which could...
-
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Concludes Sulphur Study in Gediz Vallis; Mars Journey Continues
NASA’s Curiosity rover has completed its study of Mars’ Gediz Vallis channel, capturing key images of the sulphur deposits discovered within. The rover's next mission will explore a unique geological formation called the Boxwork. Located in the foothills of Mount Sharp, Gediz Vallis is important for understanding the transition from Mars’ wet...
-
China's Zhurong Rover Helps Find Evidence of Potential Ancient Shoreline on Mars
China's Zhurong rover has found what might be the shoreline of an ancient Martian ocean, offering fresh support for theories that Mars once had vast bodies of water. Studying images and radar data from Utopia Planitia, the largest impact basin on Mars, scientists identified geological features that resemble coastlines, including pitted cones, troug...
-
New Research Reveals How Dynamo Reversals Impact Mars Magnetic Fields
Recent research in Nature Communications suggests that weak magnetic fields above Martian basins may stem from prolonged dynamo reversals, which reduce field strength over time. Through cooling models, scientists revealed that these reversing processes could account for Mars’s unique magnetic history, rather than indicating an early shutdown of t...
