New observations of mud cracks made by NASA's Curiosity rover show that high-frequency, wet-dry cycling occurred in early Martian surface environments.
A recent study finds that the vast subsurface fracture networks in Gale crater would have provided water-rich and radiation-shielded conditions that were potentially more habitable than those on the surface.
Raging megafloods, likely triggered by the heat of a meteoritic impact, roared across Gale Crater near the equator of Mars some 4 billion years ago, creating gigantic sedimentary ripples visible today.
NASA's Curiosity rover discovered "startlingly high amounts of methane in the Martian air" on Wednesday in what could potentially be a sign of life on the Red Planet, the New York Times reported on Saturday.
Clay often forms in the presence of water – a key ingredient for the evolution of life as it is known on Earth – and Curiosity’s latest findings add more evidence that a significant amount of water once pooled and flowed in Gale Crater on Mars.
Curiosity Mars rover has started drilling into a clay-bearing unit on the lower slopes of Mount Sharp, while the InSight's mole ran into a sub-surface obstacle of some sort on 28 February after hammering its way just 30 cm into Martian soil.
NASA recently released a 360-degree panoramic image based on images taken by the Curiosity rover, which showed its latest drilling site.
A storm of tiny dust particles on Mars has prompted NASA's Opportunity rover to suspend science operations. The Martian dust storm has grown in size and is now officially a 'planet-encircling' (or 'global') dust event.
The finding has significant implications for whether life once existed on Mars.
Boron, changing minerals offer evidence of a habitable lake and complex chemistry.
The Curiosity Rover discovered manganese oxides on the red planet. The seemingly simple find actually has mind-boggling implications: ancient Mars could have been a lot more like Earth than we thought.
Curiosity is busy poking and prodding the Bagnold Dunes, learning some new tricks in the first-ever interplanetary fieldwork on a sand dune. And of course it looks absolutely stunning while doing it in this latest sand dune selfie.
