Mars volcano erupted nonstop for 2 billion years
An unusual meteorite found in Algeria in 2012 shows that at some point in its 4.5-billion-year history, Mars had a single volcano that erupted continuously...
Desiccation cracks show the shape of water on Mars
As Curiosity rover marches across Mars, the red planet's watery past comes into clearer focus.
In early 2017 scientists announced the discovery of possible desiccation...
Most of Mars’ atmosphere was lost to space
Solar wind and radiation are responsible for stripping the Martian atmosphere, transforming Mars from a planet that could have supported life billions of years...
On Mars, wind rules
On Mars, wind rules. Wind has been shaping the Red Planet's landscapes for billions of years and continues to do so today.
Studies using both...
Minerals in a family of asteroids reveal Martian roots
Mars Trojan asteroids, which travel along the planet’s orbital path around the Sun, are not quite like those that populate the asteroid belt between...
Surprising bombardment history of Mars
From the earliest days of our solar system’s history, collisions between astronomical objects have shaped the planets and changed the course of their evolution.
Studying...
Mars has metal in its atmosphere, NASA’s MAVEN reveals
Mars has electrically charged metal atoms (ions) high in its atmosphere, according to new results from NASA's MAVEN spacecraft.
The metal ions can reveal previously...
Bound for Mars: Countdown to first interplanetary launch from California
In the early morning hours of May 5, millions of Californians will have an opportunity to witness a sight they have never seen before...
Future astronauts could get water from ice on Mars
Researchers have found eight sites where thick deposits of ice beneath the surface of Mars are exposed in faces of eroding slopes.
These eight scarps,...
Ancient, massive asteroid impact could explain Martian geological mysteries
The origin and nature of Mars is mysterious.
It has geologically distinct hemispheres, with smooth lowlands in the north and cratered, high-elevation terrain in the...