Professor Mark Sims on the discovery that Beagle 2 made it to the surface

NASA’s newest Mars orbiter has formally started a one-year research campaign to study an ancient case of climate change that starved the red planet of water, breathable air and potential life, scientists said Monday.

The Hubble Space Telescope captured stunning new views of Mars and Saturn as the planets neared opposition, lined up with Earth and the Sun. Mars remains obscured by a global dust storm.

Exactly a week after its close encounter with dazzling Venus, outer planet Uranus lies close to Mars on the evening of Wednesday, March 11th — but you’ll need to time your observation carefully in the dusk twilight twilight to ensure success.