Martian Life
- All
- News
- Web Stories
-
Scientists Map Ancient Mars River Basins For First Time, Offering New Clues In Search For Past Life
This research was published on November 24 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
-
NASA’s Perseverance Records First-Ever Mini-Lightning on Mars
NASA’s Perseverance rover has captured the first confirmed mini-lightning sparks in Mars’ dusty atmosphere. Using its sensitive microphone, the rover recorded 55 tiny electrical discharges during dust storms over two Martian years. These sparks generate reactive chemicals that can break down organic molecules, affecting future life-detection ef...
-
NASA Steps In to Support ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Rover Ahead of 2028 Mars Launch
NASA will deliver crucial hardware, thermal units, landing thrusters, and a U.S. launch vehicle to support ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover, set for launch in 2028. The rover will drill two meters into Mars to search for ancient life using the advanced Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer instrument.
-
NASA Experiment Shows Martian Ice Could Preserve Signs of Ancient Life
A NASA study suggests that traces of ancient life could be locked in Martian ice. Lab tests freezing bacteria under Mars-like radiation revealed amino acids can persist for tens of millions of years. Researchers say pure ice offers protection, making Mars’ frozen regions ideal for searching preserved biomolecules.
-
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Finds Potential Signs of Life in Mars Rock Sample
NASA’s Perseverance rover has uncovered iron-rich minerals in Jezero Crater rocks that on Earth often link to microbial activity. The discovery suggests Mars’ lake basin may have been more hospitable than thought. Still, scientists caution that only Earth-based analysis can confirm whether these are true biosignatures.
-
NASA Mars Rover Finds Strongest Hints Yet Of Potential Signs Of Ancient Life
NASA's Mars rover Perseverance has uncovered rocks in a dry river channel that may hold potential signs of ancient microscopic life, scientists reported Wednesday.
-
NASA's Curiosity Rover Spots Coral-Shaped Rock On Mars
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover recently sent back black and white images of a rock on the Martian surface that looks remarkably like a piece of coral.
-
The Promise And Peril Of A Crewed Mars Mission
Mars mission would pursue scientific objectives like determining whether Mars ever hosted life and charting the evolution of its surface, as well as answering broader questions -- such as the history of the Sun through studying Martian soil.
-
Curiosity Rover Finds Evidence of Liquid Water on Mars, Expanding Habitability Timeline
Reports from NASA’s Curiosity rover reveal evidence of ancient liquid water on Mars, challenging previous models. Images from Gale Crater show wave-like ripples, similar to Earth’s lakebeds. Scientists suggest the findings indicate Mars once had a denser atmosphere, which allowed liquid water to exist longer than previously believed. This disco...
-
Kidney Bean-Shaped Sand Dunes Spotted On Mars Could Hold Clues To Life
Unlike the dunes on Earth which are constantly in motion, the kidney bean-shaped dunes on Mars appear surprisingly motionless.
-
Mars Satellite Images Reveal Giant 'Kidney Beans,' Sparking Hints of Water and Life
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured images of frozen sand dunes in Mars' northern hemisphere, revealing unique formations halted by carbon dioxide frost during winter. Unlike Earth's desert dunes, which shift with wind, these Martian dunes remain stationary until spring thaw releases their icy grip. Scientists study these features to unders...
-
Mars' Hidden Methane Deposits Could Be Underneath the Crust, Host Alien Life
Scientists have identified regions on Mars where conditions might support microbial life beneath the surface. Seasonal methane variations and Earth-based studies of similar environments suggest underground habitats such as Acidalia Planitia could hold the key. Methanogens, microbes that produce methane, thrive in extreme conditions on Earth, like s...
-
Cosmic Rays Could Erase Signs of Life on Mars, Study Reveals
A new study highlights how cosmic radiation is destroying signs of ancient life on Mars. Organic materials like lipids degrade quickly under radiation, especially in salt-rich environments. Scientists suggest future Mars exploration should focus on deeper drilling, such as ESA's upcoming Rosalind Franklin Rover mission, to avoid surface radiation e...
-
Evidence of Hot Water on Mars Found in Ancient Meteorite From Early Days of Solar System
Evidence of ancient hot water activity on Mars has been found in a 4.45-billion-year-old zircon grain from the NWA7034 meteorite. The findings, detailed in Science Advances, reveal that hydrothermal systems were active on Mars during the Pre-Noachian period. Researchers suggest these systems, essential for life on Earth, could have made Mars habita...
-
NASA’s Viking Mission May Have Destroyed Martian Life with Water Experiments
In 1975, NASA’s Viking mission tested Martian soil for microbial life using liquid water. A recent theory suggests this approach may have destroyed microbes adapted to Mars' dry, salt-driven conditions. Astrobiologist Dirk Schulze-Makuch proposes revisiting our assumptions about life on Mars and prioritising methods suited to its hyperarid enviro...
-
Scientists Map Ancient Mars River Basins For First Time, Offering New Clues In Search For Past Life
This research was published on November 24 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
-
NASA’s Perseverance Records First-Ever Mini-Lightning on Mars
NASA’s Perseverance rover has captured the first confirmed mini-lightning sparks in Mars’ dusty atmosphere. Using its sensitive microphone, the rover recorded 55 tiny electrical discharges during dust storms over two Martian years. These sparks generate reactive chemicals that can break down organic molecules, affecting future life-detection ef...
-
NASA Steps In to Support ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Rover Ahead of 2028 Mars Launch
NASA will deliver crucial hardware, thermal units, landing thrusters, and a U.S. launch vehicle to support ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover, set for launch in 2028. The rover will drill two meters into Mars to search for ancient life using the advanced Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer instrument.
-
NASA Experiment Shows Martian Ice Could Preserve Signs of Ancient Life
A NASA study suggests that traces of ancient life could be locked in Martian ice. Lab tests freezing bacteria under Mars-like radiation revealed amino acids can persist for tens of millions of years. Researchers say pure ice offers protection, making Mars’ frozen regions ideal for searching preserved biomolecules.
-
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Finds Potential Signs of Life in Mars Rock Sample
NASA’s Perseverance rover has uncovered iron-rich minerals in Jezero Crater rocks that on Earth often link to microbial activity. The discovery suggests Mars’ lake basin may have been more hospitable than thought. Still, scientists caution that only Earth-based analysis can confirm whether these are true biosignatures.
-
NASA Mars Rover Finds Strongest Hints Yet Of Potential Signs Of Ancient Life
NASA's Mars rover Perseverance has uncovered rocks in a dry river channel that may hold potential signs of ancient microscopic life, scientists reported Wednesday.
-
NASA's Curiosity Rover Spots Coral-Shaped Rock On Mars
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover recently sent back black and white images of a rock on the Martian surface that looks remarkably like a piece of coral.
-
The Promise And Peril Of A Crewed Mars Mission
Mars mission would pursue scientific objectives like determining whether Mars ever hosted life and charting the evolution of its surface, as well as answering broader questions -- such as the history of the Sun through studying Martian soil.
-
Curiosity Rover Finds Evidence of Liquid Water on Mars, Expanding Habitability Timeline
Reports from NASA’s Curiosity rover reveal evidence of ancient liquid water on Mars, challenging previous models. Images from Gale Crater show wave-like ripples, similar to Earth’s lakebeds. Scientists suggest the findings indicate Mars once had a denser atmosphere, which allowed liquid water to exist longer than previously believed. This disco...
-
Kidney Bean-Shaped Sand Dunes Spotted On Mars Could Hold Clues To Life
Unlike the dunes on Earth which are constantly in motion, the kidney bean-shaped dunes on Mars appear surprisingly motionless.
-
Mars Satellite Images Reveal Giant 'Kidney Beans,' Sparking Hints of Water and Life
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured images of frozen sand dunes in Mars' northern hemisphere, revealing unique formations halted by carbon dioxide frost during winter. Unlike Earth's desert dunes, which shift with wind, these Martian dunes remain stationary until spring thaw releases their icy grip. Scientists study these features to unders...
-
Mars' Hidden Methane Deposits Could Be Underneath the Crust, Host Alien Life
Scientists have identified regions on Mars where conditions might support microbial life beneath the surface. Seasonal methane variations and Earth-based studies of similar environments suggest underground habitats such as Acidalia Planitia could hold the key. Methanogens, microbes that produce methane, thrive in extreme conditions on Earth, like s...
-
Cosmic Rays Could Erase Signs of Life on Mars, Study Reveals
A new study highlights how cosmic radiation is destroying signs of ancient life on Mars. Organic materials like lipids degrade quickly under radiation, especially in salt-rich environments. Scientists suggest future Mars exploration should focus on deeper drilling, such as ESA's upcoming Rosalind Franklin Rover mission, to avoid surface radiation e...
-
Evidence of Hot Water on Mars Found in Ancient Meteorite From Early Days of Solar System
Evidence of ancient hot water activity on Mars has been found in a 4.45-billion-year-old zircon grain from the NWA7034 meteorite. The findings, detailed in Science Advances, reveal that hydrothermal systems were active on Mars during the Pre-Noachian period. Researchers suggest these systems, essential for life on Earth, could have made Mars habita...
-
NASA’s Viking Mission May Have Destroyed Martian Life with Water Experiments
In 1975, NASA’s Viking mission tested Martian soil for microbial life using liquid water. A recent theory suggests this approach may have destroyed microbes adapted to Mars' dry, salt-driven conditions. Astrobiologist Dirk Schulze-Makuch proposes revisiting our assumptions about life on Mars and prioritising methods suited to its hyperarid enviro...
