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Mars

Mars, the Red Planet, is the fourth planet from the sun.

Related Topics: Curiosity Mars Rover Mission, ExoMars, India Mars Orbiter Mission, Mars Rover Opportunity, Maven Mars Mission 

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NASA will again accept applications for new astronauts beginning March 2 through March 31, 2020. The new recruits, members of NASA's 23rd class of astronaut candidates, will train for expeditions to the space station and Artemis flights to the moon.

The top space stories of the week!

By Doris Elin Urrutia

These are the top space stories this week from Space.com.

The shipping container carrying NASA's Mars 2020 rover is readied for loading aboard an Air Force C-17 transport plane at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California, on Feb. 11, 2020.

NASA's Mars 2020 rover arrives at Florida launch site for July liftoff

By Hanneke Weitering

NASA's newest Mars rover has just left the nest.

Mars as seen from orbit by NASA’s Viking mission.

Water on Mars? Boulder shadows may spawn short-lived pools of brine.

By Mike Wall

Many tiny patches of modern Martian ground may be capable of supporting life, if only very briefly, a new study suggests.

This illustration shows how early Mars may have looked, with signs of liquid water, large-scale volcanic activity and heavy bombardment from planetary projectiles.

Mars took way longer to form than we thought, ancient impacts reveal

By Samantha Mathewson

Early cosmic impacts may have influenced the evolution of Mars, suggesting that the Red Planet formed much slower than previously thought.

Artist's illustration of NASA's planned Mars Ascent Vehicle launching samples off the surface of the Red Planet.

NASA's Mars sample-return plans get a boost in 2021 budget request

By Mike Wall

'Mars Future Missions' get $233 million in the newly unveiled 2021 budget request.

A night-sky image taken by the Mars InSight lander's Instrument Context Camera on Jan. 28, 2020.

This picture is from Mars. It's probably not what you think.

By Meghan Bartels

It's some next-level skywatching: Scientists are using images captured by NASA's InSight lander to look for meteors on Mars.

J.J. Hastings practices dying on Mars just outside of the HI-SEAS habitat in Hawaii with a Martian death garment specially designed and made by fashion designer Pia Interlandi.

How to die on Mars

By Chelsea Gohd

As we venture out off Earth, it's important that we consider what might happen if we die.

An artist's depiction of NASA's MAVEN spacecraft studying Mars.

Discovery of 'rifts' and 'layers' above Mars may aid radio communications on Earth

By Elizabeth Howell

A NASA probe at Mars made a finding that could help scientists better understand radio interference at Earth.

As November begins, Mercury will be in the western evening sky and swinging sunward towards inferior conjunction on November 11, when the speedy planet will transit the sun. The transit will be visible in whole or in part from westernmost Russia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, South America, North America (except for the extreme north), most of the Pacific Ocean, and New Zealand. After mid-month, Mercury will return to view with an excellent morning apparition for Northern Hemisphere observers, but a poor one for the Southern Hemisphere. The planet will reach peak visibility at greatest western elongation on November 28. Viewed in a telescope during mornings in November, Mercury's disk will diminish in apparent size and wax in illuminated phase from a thin crescent to a 68% full. Over the same period, the planet will brighten. The old crescent moon will pass north of Mercury on November 24-25.

The brightest planets in February's night sky: How to see them (and when)

By Joe Rao

Here's how to see planets visible in February's night sky.

Bill Nye quenches his thirst and explores our future on Mars in a new ad for SodaStream.

Bill Nye, bubbles and water on Mars to land at Super Bowl 2020

By Chelsea Gohd

Bill Nye to enjoy some bubbles and contemplate humanity's future on Mars this Super Bowl LIV.

The Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) consists of interlocking geometric tents that house crew quarters and a research area. The temporary second facility, called the Mars Academy USA habitat, was set up close to the MDRS.

Historic dual-habitat mock Mars mission begins in the Utah desert

By Samantha Mathewson

A new crew has arrived at the Mars Desert Research Station for a two-week dual-habitat simulation.

The EuroMoonMars III crew stands outside of the HI-SEAS habitat, eager to enter and begin their mission on Jan. 18, 2020.

European scientists are taking a mock moon mission in Hawaii right now

By Chelsea Gohd

A crew of researchers prepared to leave "Mars" this past Saturday (Jan. 18) as another crew arrived, ready to explore the "moon."

JPL technicians perform final checkout of NASA Mars 2020 rover. Note the on-the-floor onlooker wearing sunglasses.

NASA's Mars 2020 rover photobombed by mysterious 'High Bay Bob' in sunglasses

By Leonard David

This image by one of the Curiosity Mars rover’s hazard cameras shows the robot’s arm extended out to perform an analysis of the bedrock. Curiosity has to know the exact angle of every joint to move safely. 

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity had an attitude problem. (But it's fine now.)

By Mike Wall

An attitude problem sidelined NASA's Mars rover Curiosity recently, but the robot's handlers whipped it back into shape in short order.

Artist's illustration on NASA's 2020 Mars rover on the Red Planet.

NASA's next Mars rover will get one of these 9 names

By Mike Wall

NASA has chosen nine finalists in the student naming contest for its next Mars rover, which currently goes by the bland Mars 2020.

The Sensoria crew jumps for joy before entering the mock Martian habitat on Jan. 4, 2020. The crew will stay in the habitat until Jan. 18, 2020.

An all-woman Mars analog crew just 'returned to Earth' in Hawaii

By Chelsea Gohd

An all-female crew of analog astronauts have "returned to Earth," completing a two-week mission in a mock Mars habitat on the big island of Hawaii.

See the crescent moon form a triangle with Mars and Antares in the predawn sky on Jan. 20, 2020.

See the moon, Mars and Antares form a triangle in Monday's predawn sky

By Hanneke Weitering

The waning crescent moon will form a triangle with the Red Planet and the bright star Antares in the morning sky on Monday (Jan. 20), and you can catch the trio in the morning sky before dawn.

Artist's illustration on NASA's 2020 Mars rover on the Red Planet.

What will NASA's Mars 2020 rover be called? There's 155 names on the shortlist.

By Mike Wall

The competition to name NASA's next Mars rover has entered a new phase, with the space agency culling the field from 28,000 down to 155.

Bricks produced using fungal mycelium, yard waste and wood chips as a part of a NASA-funded myco-architecture project. Similar materials could be used to build habitats on the moon or Mars.

Moon 'shrooms? Fungi eyed to help build lunar bases and Mars outposts

By Mike Wall

Artist's illustration of NASA's planned Mars Ascent Vehicle launching samples off the surface of the Red Planet.

A Mars sample-return mission is coming. Scientists want the public to know what to expect.

By Mike Wall

The first pristine pieces of Mars won't be coming down to Earth for at least another decade, but the time to start preparing society for the epic arrival is now, scientists say.