Mars

Latest about Mars

The first visible-light image of a green aurora on Mars, left, taken by NASA’s Perseverance rover. A comparison image, right, shows the night sky without the aurora but featuring the Martian moon Deimos.

Perseverance Mars rover becomes 1st spacecraft to spot auroras from the surface of another world

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover made skywatching history in March, becoming the first robot to witness auroras from the surface of another planet.

Mars
On a flat, slightly rocky ground, there is a sample tube laying there. A rover's wheel is seen toward the top right.

Mars Sample Return now! (op-ed)

By Bruce Jakosky, Scott Hubbard published

The White House's 2026 budget request axes NASA's long-held plan to bring Mars samples to Earth for analysis. Here's why that cancellation would be a mistake.

Mars
This infrared image of Mars, captured during a close flyby on March 1, 2025, helped NASA validate key instruments aboard the Europa Clipper probe ahead of its mission to Jupiter's icy ocean moon Europa.

NASA's Europa Clipper probe snaps ghostly thermal portrait of Mars en route to Jupiter

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft captured a thermal image of Mars during a gravity-assist flyby, testing instruments ahead of its mission to explore Jupiter’s ocean moon Europa.

Mars

'Marsquakes' reveal clues about a hidden body of water on Mars

By Victoria Corless published

A new study offers key insights into Mars' water cycle.

Mars
Artist's illustration of SpaceX Starships on Mars.

'Eventually, all life on Earth will be destroyed by the sun': Elon Musk explains his drive to colonize Mars

By Mike Wall published

Elon Musk explained the rather depressing fate of life on Earth to Fox News host Jesse Waters, who had asked him why humanity should go to Mars.

Mars
NASA Curiosity rover on Mars

Life Detection on Mars: Are Red Planet Protocols in Place?

By Leonard David published

Finding evidence for life on Mars has been a decades-long ambition for NASA, which has spent billions of dollars to send machines wheeling over, poking and probing the Red Planet.

Mars