Planet Mars

Mars, Here We Come! Congress Approves $19 Billion NASA Budget

Congress passed a vital NASA authorization bill late Wednesday, paving the way for an extra space shuttle flight next year and a new human spaceflight plan that takes aim at missions to an asteroid -- and ultimately even to Mars.

More at http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/09/30/mars-asteroid-congress-approves-nasa-budget/

Astronomers Discover 'Class M' Planet

Researchers have discovered a planet they believe is capable of supporting humanoid-like life. The celestial body, known as GJ 581g, has a climate that's not too dissimilar from that found on Earth, according to scientists at the Lick-Carnegie Exoplanet Survey.
"The estimated equilibrium temperature of GJ 581g, is 228 K, placing it squarely in the middle of the habitable zone of the star and offering a very compelling case for a potentially habitable planet around a very nearby star," the researchers said in a paper submitted to The Astrophysical Journal.

Get more at http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/trends/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227501036

Solar Storms can Change Directions, Surprising Forecasters

Researchers using data from NASA's STEREO spacecraft have found that solar storms don't always travel in a straight line. This adds a surprising new twist to the science of space weather forecasting.

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/21sep_zigzag/

Amateur Astronomers Are First To Detect Objects Impacting Jupiter

Amateur astronomers using backyard telescopes were the first to detect two small objects that burned up in Jupiter’s atmosphere.

“Jupiter is a big gravitational vacuum cleaner,” said Glenn Orton

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/sep/HQ_217_Amateur_Astronomers_on_Jupiter_Hits.html

Closest Encounter with Jupiter until 2022

NASA Science News for Sept. 15, 2010

Jupiter and Earth are converging for their closest encounter in more than a decade. Only the Moon itself is outshining the giant planet in the midnight sky, and the view through a telescope is dynamite.

See Full Article at: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/15sep_jupiter/

Sandtrapped Rover Makes a Big Discovery

NASA Science News for December 2, 2009

While stuck in a sandtrap, Mars rover Spirit has made a discovery one researcher calls "supremely interesting."

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/02dec_troy.htm?list791148

Mars Orbiter Indicates Mars Was Habitable

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has found an important mineral on the Martian surface that leads researchers to believe the planet once was hospitable to life.

Researchers have collected even more data on the possible existence of water on the Red Planet: gullies created by flowing water, minerals that can only be created with water, and several ancient lakes on the surface. Scientists continue to research how and what kind of living things could have lived on Mars.

Mars Water Discovered, "Tasted" by Lander -- A First

NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander quenched a longtime scientific thirst yesterday when it detected water in a soil sample—the first time liquid water has been touched or "tasted" on another planet.

"We have water," said William Boynton of the University of Arizona, lead scientist for TEGA.

http://www.planetmars.com/cgi-bin/nph-wp.cgi/000010A/http/news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/08/080901-mars-water.html

Update on Mars Phoenix Lander Scheduled for June 4

06.03.08 -- PASADENA, Calif. - NASA and the University of Arizona, Tucson, will hold a televised news briefing on Wednesday, June 4, at 11 a.m. PDT (2 p.m. EDT), to present the latest news from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander mission, which touched down on the Red Planet on May 25.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main/index.html

NASA'S Phoenix Retesting Release of Martian Soil

06.03.08 -- Engineers and scientists operating NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander decided early today to repeat a practice test of releasing Martian soil from the scoop on the lander's Robotic Arm.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/news/phoenix-20080603.html