A massive sunspot observed on the sun is turning towards Earth and is expected to increase in size over the next few days. The area, dubbed AR2770, has a ‘primary dark core’ the width of Mars and a number of crater-size ‘spotlets’ littering its surface. The sunspot is a member of Solar Cycle 25, the … Read more
Lava tubes under the surface of the Moon and Mars are so large they could host entire planetary bases for future space exploration, planetary scientists claim. Researchers at the Universities of Bologna and Padua studied the subsurface cavities that lava created billions of years ago under the surface of Mars and the Moon. These cavities … Read more
How important is the presence of liquid water? It is now widely believed that Mars holds a reasonably large volume of water. However, the surface of the planet is so cold, this water exists only as ice. In order for life to exist on a planet, many scientists believe it is essential for the world … Read more
Mysterious cloud over 1,000 MILES long reappears on Mars over a large volcano near the Red Planet’s equator Scientist spotted a mysterious cloud over a volcano on Mars in 2018 Images snapped of the area reveals the plume has made its return It sits 12.4 miles over the volcano Arsia Mons and is some 1,110 … Read more
China’s Mars probe, Tianwen-1, has beamed back a photo of the Earth and the Moon as it heads towards the Red Planet. The image, which shows the two celestial bodies as small crescents in the empty darkness of space, was taken 746,000 miles (1.2 million kilometres) away from Earth. The black and white photo simultaneously reveals … Read more
Humans could live on the planet Mars if a fungi which spawned inside the Chernobyl nuclear reactor is used to protect against radiation, scientists say. A layer of the fungus around 21 centimetres thick could ‘largely negate the annual dose-equivalent of the radiation environment on the surface of Mars’, researchers found. ‘What makes the fungus … Read more
Department of Energy asks private sector for ideas on building autonomous nuclear power plants on the moon and Mars – opening the way for long-term exploration The U.S. Department of Energy on Friday made a formal request for ideas They want to build a nuclear power plant that could allow long-term life in space They … Read more
China has successfully launched a rover to Mars, a journey coinciding with a similar US mission as the powers take their rivalry into deep space. The two countries are taking advantage of a period when Earth and Mars are favourably aligned for a short journey, with the US spacecraft due to lift off on July … Read more
Mars as you’ve never seen it before: Incredible images captured from the Martian surface by NASA rovers are remastered in stunning ultra high definition by space fans YouTubers ElderFox Documentaries created panoramas from Martian images The pictures were all taken by Curiosity, Opportunity and Spirit rovers on Mars The team ‘upscaled’ the images into ultra … Read more
NASA updates policies to protect the moon and Mars from human germs that may hitchhike on astronauts in a bid to not contaminate samples returning to Earth NASA is set to send crewed missions to the moon in 2024 and Mars in the 2030s The agency is updating its policies that protect outer space from human … Read more