Planet Mars

Comet surprise makes it visible to naked eye

A comet that unexpectedly brightened in the last couple of weeks and is now visible to the naked eye is attracting professional and amateur interest.
The comet is exploding and its coma, a cloud of gas and dust illuminated by the sun, has grown to be bigger than the planet Jupiter. The comet lacks the tail usually associated with such celestial bodies but can be seen in the northern sky, in the constellation Perseus, as a fuzzy spot of light about as bright as the stars in the Big Dipper.

Super hi-res camera reveals Mars water bleaching

Yet more evidence of liquid erosion on Mars from the high resolution camera aboard the Reconnaissance Orbiter has further bullet-proofed claims that there was once water on Mars.

The findings, released on Thursday, reveal patterns of light and dark minerals around fractures in 3km-deep bedrock exposed to the surface of the Valles Marinaris by wind erosion. The Valles Marinaris extends the length of the US and is almost seven times deeper than the Grand Canyon in places.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/15/more_mars_water_evidence/

True Fakes: Scientists make simulated lunar soil

NASA is returning to the Moon, but first NASA engineers would like to test designs for lunar landers and rovers on genuine lunar soil. Just one problem: There's not enough real moondust to go around. So scientists are making some "true fakes." FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/28dec_truefake.htm?list791148

Evidence of water discovered on Mars surface: NASA

Washington - US space agency NASA on Wednesday said it had discovered new evidence that water flows periodically on the surface of Mars, raising the possibility of life existing on the Red Planet.

Mars rover reaches edge of 1-km-wide crater

NASA's Mars rover Opportunity has reached its gigantic destination after 21 months of travel.

This is a geologist's dream come true," says rover mission principal investigator Steve Squyres in a release. "Those layers of rock, if we can get to them, will tell us new stories about the environmental conditions long ago."

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2006-116

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060928/0928_discovery_opportunity/20060928?hub=TopStories

Scientists decide Pluto�s no longer a planet

Leading astronomers declared Thursday that Pluto is no longer a planet under historic new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight. The new definition of what is � and isn�t � a planet fills a centuries-old black hole for scientists who have labored since Copernicus without one. Find out more at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14489259/

Nasa team sees explosion on Moon

Nasa scientists have witnessed a rare explosion on the Moon, caused by a "meteoroid" slamming into it.

NASA Science News for September 22, 2005

The planet Mars, already very bright in the midnight sky, is about to get much brighter.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/22sep_doublemars.htm?list791148

Vote for the Science@NASA podcast at http://www.podcastalley.com/one_vote2.php?pod_id=825

To find out more, read http://science.nasa.gov/podcast.htm

Major Solar Flare

Space Weather News for September 7, 2005

Today, Earth-orbiting satellites detected a major X-class solar flare coming from the sun's eastern limb. The source of the explosion is probably returning sunspot 798, which sparked strong geomagnetic storms in August. Although today's flare was not Earth-directed, explosions later this week could be as the active region turns more and more toward our planet. September, like August, could turn into a good month for auroras.

The Devils of Mars

When humans visit Mars, they'll have to watch out for towering electrified dust devils.