Mars – Page 12 – Astronomy Now

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spots recent impact crater

7 June 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has spotted a recent impact crater that will remain a distinctive blemish for decades to come. Finding new craters is not uncommon with six satellites currently orbiting the Red Planet.

‘Corduroy’ sand dunes enhance Mars’ permanent polar cap

4 June 2018 Astronomy Now

High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment – HiRISE – camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this intriguing view of “corduroy” dunes on Mars permanent polar cap, an image seemingly as much art as science.

Get ready for viewing Mars this summer during its closest approach for 15 years

26 May 2018 Ade Ashford

At the end of July 2018, Mars makes its closest approach to Earth since the memorable opposition of 2003. This summer sees the Red Planet big and bright, low in the south around 1am BST, but now’s the time to train your eye to detect prominent Martian surface features – dust storms permitting! We present our interactive Mars Mapper to help plan your observations.

Curiosity once again drilling into Mars rocks after long hiatus

24 May 2018 Astronomy Now

The drill at the end of the Curiosity Mars rover’s robot arm is back in action after being sidelined for more than a year by a mechanical problem. A new technique was successfully tested 20 May after months of engineering tests on Earth.

A tapestry of rippling sand dunes on Mars

12 May 2018 Astronomy Now

Surrounding about a quarter of Mars’ northern polar cap is a vast field of crescent-shaped barchan sand dunes covering an area larger than the U.S. state of California. Seen in summer when the dunes were free of frost, Odyssey captured a stunning tapestry of unearthly wind-blown beauty.

NASA approves helicopter to launch with 2020 Mars rover

11 May 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA is adding a small helicopter to the agency’s Mars 2020 rover that will become the first heavier-than-air vehicle to fly on another planet. The technology demonstrator features twin counter-rotating blades.

See the Moon get close to Saturn and Mars in the early morning sky

4 May 2018 Ade Ashford

Although Jupiter close to opposition may be stealing the other naked-eye planets’ thunder, there’s lots more to see if you’re an early riser on the weekend of 5–6 May. About an hour before sunrise finds Mars and Saturn less than the span of an outstretched hand at arm’s length apart in the UK southern sky, with the waning gibbous Moon acting as a convenient guide to each planet on successive mornings.

Managers clear InSight for launch after heat shield review

3 May 2018 Stephen Clark

NASA officials have determined that the robotic InSight lander is ready for its mission to Mars after concluding that the probe should not suffer the same flaw that led to a crack in a heat shield undergoing tests for the space agency’s Mars 2020 rover.

Mars orbiter sees bedrock on the floor of an ancient crater

2 May 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captures a spectacular enhanced colour image of an ancient crater on the red planet showing rippling sand dunes and eroded bedrock.

Mars moons likely formed from more modest impact

19 April 2018 Astronomy Now

Sophisticated computer modeling indicates Mars’ two small moons likely formed as the result of a relatively modest-size impactor, not a much larger body as previously theorized.