Mars – Astronomy Now

French seismometer detects first likely “marsquake”

24 April 2019 Astronomy Now

An ultrasensitive French seismometer carried to Mars by NASA’s InSight lander has detected its first “marsquake.”

Mars methane mystery deepens with ExoMars data

16 April 2019 Astronomy Now

In contrast to earlier observations, the ESA-Rososmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has found a surprising absence of methane in the martian atmosphere.

Curiosity drills into clay unit; InSight ‘mole’ tests continue

13 April 2019 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover has started drilling in a clay-bearing unit on the slope of Mount Sharp where rocks formed in the presence of water are expected.

Mars Helicopter shows it has ‘right stuff’ for red planet

31 March 2019 Astronomy Now

A small helicopter that will be delivered by NASA’s Mars 2020 rover has successfully completed initial test flights in a simulated martian environment.

See the Red Planet’s encounter with the Seven Sisters at dusk

26 March 2019 Ade Ashford

On 31 March at 4am BST, Mars passes just 3.1 degrees south of the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters open star cluster in the constellation of Taurus. The Red Planet sets before midnight as seen from the UK, so you should look to the west as darkness falls. Mars and the Pleiades lie within the same field of view of typical 10×50 binoculars from 28 March through 1 April 2019.

Mars “mole” struggles to hammer its way past obstacles

6 March 2019 Astronomy Now

A German temperature probe carried to Mars aboard NASA’s InSight lander is struggling to hammer its way past sub-surface obstacles.

How’s the weather on Mars? Cold, with a chance of dust devils

19 February 2019 Astronomy Now

Weather data from NASA’s InSight Mars lander is now posted daily, allowing armchair astronauts to better appreciate conditions on the red planet.

MAVEN’s orbit lowered to support Mars 2020 data relay

16 February 2019 William Harwood

NASA is using aerobraking to lower the orbit of the agency’s MAVEN Mars orbiter to support data relay operations with the upcoming Mars 2020 rover.

End of an era: NASA gives up on Opportunity rover

14 February 2019 Astronomy Now

After a final attempt to restore contact with the Opportunity Mars rover, NASA managers declared the spacecraft lost, bringing a 15-year mission to an end.

See Mars, Uranus and the Moon get close on 10 February

7 February 2019 Ade Ashford

Have you ever seen planet Uranus? If skies are clear in the UK and Western Europe on the evening of Sunday, 10 February, see this icy gas giant less than 2 degrees (or four lunar diameters) from Mars and 6 degrees from the 5-day-old crescent Moon. In fact, you’ll see all three in a single view of wide-angle binoculars like 7×50s.