Mars | The Daily Space

Martian Volcanoes Once Chose Violence

Apr 29, 2022 | Daily Space, Earth, Galaxies, Mars, Perseverance, Science, Sky Watching, Supernovae

An analysis of images taken by the Spirit rover of olivine-rich rocks in Gusev crater has revealed a much more violent volcanic origin than originally thought and one that likely occurred early in Mars’s history. Plus, balloon science, more Mars, more volcanoes, pretty Hubble images, and What’s Up (a supernova!).

Stellar Death Just Got More Lit

Apr 28, 2022 | Crewed Space, Curiosity, Daily Space, Exoplanets, Jupiter, KBOs, Mars, Moon, Random Space Fact, Rockets, Space History, Spacecraft, SpaceX, Stars, Supernovae

Remember that new object, COW, named for a strange supernova? We’ve seen four more of these Fast Blue Optical Transits, and new research may even have figured out just how and why they occur. Plus, Crew-4 launches, a bunch of planetary science news, micronovae, and this week in rocket history, we look back at the San Marco program.

New Fossil Data Shows Cascadia’s Dangers

Apr 27, 2022 | Asteroids, Astrobiology, Climate Change, Crewed Space, Daily Space, Earth, Guest Interview, Lucy, Mars, OSIRIS-REx, Rockets, Space China, Spacecraft, SpaceX, Starlink

An analysis of sediment core samples taken at the Salmon River Estuary in Oregon provides evidence that the massive 1700 Cascadia earthquake caused 15 meters of slip along the shoreline, which lead to over a meter of coastal subsidence. Plus, all the rocket launches, a few mission updates, making Mars bricks with urea, and an interview with Maggie Thompson from UC Santa Cruz about using methane as a biosignature.

Early Bacterial Life May Have Formed Far Earlier Than Thought

Apr 15, 2022 | Asteroids, Astrobiology, Comets, Crewed Space, Daily Space, Earth, Galaxies, JWST, Lucy, Mars, Mercury, Moon, Neptune, Saturn, Sky Watching, Stars, Supermassive Black Holes, Venus

An analysis of microscopic features in rocks from the Nuvvuagittuq Supracrustal Belt in Quebec, Canada, which date back between 3.75 and 4.28 billion years, finds evidence of possible microbial life. Plus, a supermassive black hole precursor, temperatures on Neptune, check-ins with various spacecraft, and our weekly What’s Up segment.

An In-Depth Look at Recent Mars Science And Exploration

Apr 14, 2022 | Comets, Crewed Space, Curiosity, Daily Space, Mars, Moon, Random Space Fact, Space History

A new paper looks at marsquakes and what is causing them, which turns out to be magma moving. And Curiosity has found rocks it needs to go around. Then there is the weather on Mars. Plus, lunar formation, a giant comet, and this week in rocket history, we look back at Apollo 13.

Ice Mounds Abound in Martian Craters

Apr 1, 2022 | Astrobiology, Daily Space, Earth, Galaxies, Jupiter, Mars, Sky Watching, Stars

An analysis of the thickness and the shapes of the ice mounds in Martian craters found that the patterns matched Mars’ axial tilt and precession over the last 4 to 5 million years. Plus, Europa, faint galaxies, What’s Up, and a review of an entire camera.