Ten Years at Mars: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Celebrates a Decade of Discovery

By Paul Scott Anderson, on March 14th, 2016

Illustration of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) as it entered orbit ten years ago. Image Credit: NASA/JPL

The Martian rover Opportunity has become famous for its amazing longevity, but it is not the only one; orbiting spacecraft also usually enjoy long lifespans, and today the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is celebrating its 10th year exploring […]

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2015 in Review: A Year of Spectacular Planetary Missions and Discoveries

By Paul Scott Anderson, on December 31st, 2015

High-resolution view of Pluto from New Horizons, showing rugged mountains and vast icy plains. Image Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI

To say that 2015 has been a great year for planetary exploration would be an understatement, with fantastic new discoveries from around the Solar System. From our first ever close-up look at Pluto and its moons, […]

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The Saline Slopes of Mars: NASA Confirms Evidence for Flowing Liquid Water

By Paul Scott Anderson, on September 28th, 2015

False-color image of RSL on slopes in Hale crater. The blue color is thought not to be related to their formation, but instead are from the presence of the mineral pyroxene. The image is produced by draping an orthorectified (Infrared-Red-Blue/Green(IRB)) false color image (ESP_030570_1440) on a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of the same […]

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Discovery of Salty Aquifer Beneath Antarctica May Have Implications for Life on Mars

By Paul Scott Anderson, on April 28th, 2015

The SkyTEM sensor suspended beneath a helicopter over Blood Falls and the Taylor Glacier in Antarctica. Photo Credit: L. Jansan

Scientists have discovered a vast network of salty aquifers beneath the surface of Antarctica, thanks to an airborne imaging system used there for the first time. The finding may have interesting implications for […]

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Curiosity Rover Finds More Evidence for Possible Liquid Water Brines on Mars

By Paul Scott Anderson, on April 15th, 2015

The Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) on the Curiosity rover, used to make the brine calculations. Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

The search for liquid water on Mars is one that has been on-going for decades. It can’t exist for long on the surface, as it will quickly sublimate into the cold, thin atmosphere. Aquifers […]

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Rainfall on Titan May Create Propane Aquifers, Study Suggests

By Paul Scott Anderson, on September 5th, 2014

Illustration of a cross-section of Titan’s surface and near-subsurface, showing the surface lakes/seas, underground aquifers, clathrate layers, and icy crust. Image Credit: ESA/ATG medialab

Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is a very alien yet eerily Earth-like world, with rain, rivers, lakes, and seas; seen from above, the landscape has a familiar look to it. […]

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