‘John Carter of Mars’ blasts back to Barsoom in new comic series from Dynamite

Before Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, and long before “Dune,” “Star Trek” and “Star Wars,” there was famed sci-fi writer Edgar Rice Burroughs’ cosmic adventurer John Carter of Mars. First appearing in 1912 within serialized tales in The All-Story magazine titled “Under The Moons of Mars,” this stalwart Virginian and former Civil War captain was … Read more

Distance to Mars: How far away is the Red Planet?

The distance to Mars from Earth varies considerably depending on their orbits around the sun.  In theory, the closest Mars and Earth would get  is when Mars reaches its closest point to the sun (perihelion) and Earth is at its farthest (aphelion). This would bring the two planets within 33.9 million miles (54.6 million kilometers) … Read more

The chances of early life on Mars faced a meteorite problem

Early chances for life on Mars might have been diminished by meteorites. A new study suggests that a period of heavy cratering on the Red Planet (and elsewhere in the solar system) persisted 30 million years longer than thought. Studies of the Late Heavy Bombardment, as this period is called, also has implications for the … Read more

China’s Tianwen 1 Mars orbiter takes amazing video selfie for lunar New Year

China’s Tianwen 1 Mars orbiter is once again delivering stunning imagery, with a new video released to celebrate the lunar New Year. The 38-second clip shows shadows and sunlight moving across the body of Tianwen 1, with the sunlight causing insulation to move slightly due to thermal expansion. Mars then appears below the spacecraft, with … Read more

Mars may have been habitable millions of years later than we thought

Analysis of minerals in a Martian meteorite suggest that the planet may have begun to be hospitable for life 30 million years later than previously thought Space 2 February 2022 By Chen Ly Caption: NWA 7034Copyright: NASA NASA Deformations in a small mineral grain from a Martian meteorite hint that habitable conditions on Mars could … Read more

Meteorite Fragment Reveals an Extreme Asteroid Impact Hidden in Mars’ Ancient Past

Evidence for an intense asteroid impact on Mars has been found in a Martian meteorite, which could alter the timeline for when the red planet might have been habitable. In a famous meteorite named NWA 7034, or ‘Black Beauty’, scientists discovered a shocked crystal of the mineral zircon, showing a feature only seen on Earth … Read more

Mars rover Perseverance collects new sample after clearing pebble clog

NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance has snagged a sample to replace the material that got stuck in its throat. Perseverance drilled into a rock called Issole on Dec. 29, 2021, collecting its sixth cored sample since touching down inside the Red Planet’s Jezero Crater last February. But the car-sized rover couldn’t seal up the titanium tube … Read more

What is the temperature on Mars?

The temperature on Mars is much colder than on Earth.  But then, the planet is also farther from the sun. The small, barren planet also has a thin atmosphere that is 95 percent carbon dioxide. This combination of factors makes Mars a harsh and cold world whose temperature can drop to as low as minus … Read more

This Stupendous Crater on Mars Looks Eerily Like a Tree Stump

You might be forgiven for thinking the above picture is the stump of a tree. Shift your perspective a little, however, and the truth becomes clear: What you’re looking at is much bigger than any tree – a concave depression on the surface of Mars, gouged out by a massive impact.   The rings radiating … Read more