Mars – Astronomy Now

Methane detected on Mars; origin not yet known

24 June 2019 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover detects methane; while a possible indicator of biological activity, the source is not yet known.

A heavenly host of robotic space missions announced

21 June 2019 Astronomy Now

ESA and NASA announce new missions to study a pristine comet, the solar corona and how the solar wind interacts with Earth’s atmosphere.

Japanese spacecraft to carry European rover to martian moon

20 June 2019 Astronomy Now

A Japanese spacecraft designed to explore Mars’ moons will carry a European rover that will land on Phobos or Deimos.

NASA helicopter passes key tests on road to Mars flight

10 June 2019 Astronomy Now

Engineers are making preparations to attach a small drone-like helicopter to the Mars 2020 rover; a webcam is now available to monitor the rover’s assembly.

See Mercury and Mars get close at dusk on 18 June

5 June 2019 Ade Ashford

On 18 June at the end of civil twilight in the UK, planets Mars and Mercury lie slightly less than one-quarter of a degree apart in the constellation of Gemini. Observing this conjunction will be a challenge from the UK as the pair will be just 5 degrees high in the west-northwest at civil dusk in bright twilight, which is about 50 minutes after sunset for London.

Curiosity confirms clay deposits on slopes of Mount Sharp

31 May 2019 Astronomy Now

The Curiosity Mars rover has confirmed the presence of clay deposits, formed in the presence of water in the distant past, on the slopes of Mount Sharp.

Scientists spot buried remnants of polar ice sheets on Mars

22 May 2019 Astronomy Now

Researchers have found remnants of ancient ice sheets buried up to a mile below Mars’ northern polar cap, a record of seasonal climate change on the red planet.

If it looks like a duck… it might be frost on Mars

14 May 2019 Astronomy Now

Late winter sunlight hitting the surface of Mars at a low angle contributes to a striking Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter image of sandy terrain dusted with frost, producing graceful shapes that evoke… a duck?

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.