New scientific discoveries on the planet mars. NASA shows Mars like no one has ever seen before

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16:00 Yesterday

Anton Pervushin, a writer and journalist, an incredible skeptic and pragmatist, and a longtime researcher in the history of space exploration, recently surprised me with a statement: And I believed in Elon Musk. Although he previously agreed that this American character in the books of O. Henry exclusively generates hype more abruptly than bitcoin. Anton is the author of countless SF stories and books, as well as popular science publications. In 2015, he published the book Last Space Chance, in which he examines the prospects for space travel and the reasons for the incredible stagnation in space exploration in

16:37 19.11.2019

Red planet, beware. China has officially joined Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and NASA. It is possible that the statement of the Chinese space agency about plans to send a man to Mars is caused by the desire of the Celestial Empire to create a base on the moon. The moon, from the point of view of many experts, looks like a springboard for deep space flights. Moreover, the development of the satellite of our planet will establish China in the status of a space power. The red planet has been haunting people for many years China is preparing for manned lunar missions, including

16:40 18.11.2019

The China National Space Administration has conducted the first test of a Mars lander. Testing was carried out on special site in the Huailai area. During the test, the device was subjected to various loads: for example, using a special device from a height of 70 meters, a simulation of a descent at a speed corresponding to the gravity of Mars was carried out. BUT appearance the surface to which the lander descended was as similar as possible to the features of the landscape of the Red Planet. Today's

09:03 20.10.2019

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) dream of colonizing Mars is slowly becoming a reality. Scientists have solved the problem, because of which it was impossible before. They have identified crops that can be grown on the Moon and Mars. Scientists from Wageningen University have made progress in science. They found that on the Moon and Mars, vegetables can be sown and harvested, including radishes and tomatoes. To do this, they created soil similar to the one on the Moon and Mars.

14:59 17.10.2019

It may be hard to believe, but our planet and Mars are actually not that different. A recent study published in the journal Nature Geoscience suggests that the Red Planet in the past was more like an oasis than a desert. Now, thanks to the NASA Curiosity rover, it has become known that this arid and inhospitable planet of the solar system was covered with rivers and lakes for 3.5 billion years. The data obtained by Curiosity also indicate that the ancient salty water in the Martian rocks is full of mineral

16:07 10.10.2019

NASA's Curiosity rover, while exploring Gale Crater, a vast, dry, ancient lakebed with a rise in the center, discovered sediments containing sulfate salts in its soil. The presence of such salts indicates that once there were salt lakes. Sulfate salts have been found in sedimentary rocks formed between 3.3 and 3.7 billion years ago. Curiosity analyzed other, older rocks on Mars and found none of these salts. Researchers believe sulfate salts are evidence of lake evaporation

13:02 04.10.2019

October 4-10 - World Space Week Approximately, in 15 years, if there is no next delay, earthly civilization will be able to find an opportunity to send a group of astronauts to Mars. What will come of it? To begin with, people will begin to explore the near space - those planets that are located closer to the Earth. But even this is still perceived by us as a fantasy. Although already in childhood, many of us sang in pioneer camps: On the dusty paths of distant planets, our traces will remain. Such a flight will require tremendous effort from earthlings, concentration of the very

15:50 30.08.2019

Mars cannot be called an uninhabited planet, because its surface has been plowed by rovers sent by people for several decades. Already next summer, a device called Mars 2020 will fly there, which will search for the remains of microbes that could have lived on the Red Planet millions of years ago. In addition to a set of cameras and various sensors, this rover is attached to the first ever helicopter for flights to other planets. The NASA space agency is not yet sure if it will be able to fly in Martian conditions, but how else to check.

17:02 29.07.2019

Today, the main stars for the private space company SpaceX are its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles. They are used by the company to launch satellites and deliver cargo to the International Space Station. However, SpaceX is not going to be limited to these rockets and is developing a completely new launch system. With its help, the company is going to implement much more ambitious projects. Nothing less than sending people to the Moon and Mars. The company is currently testing a prototype of this spacecraft.

11:04 05.07.2019

According to the American leader, the United States will soon return to the moon and plant its flag on Mars. Earlier, Trump promised to allocate additional funds to the NASA budget for their development. US President Donald Trump said that the Americans will soon plant their flag on Mars. He stated this while speaking in Washington on the occasion of the Independence Day of the United States, reports CBS. I want you to know that we will be returning to the moon very soon and one day, soon, we will plant an American flag on Mars, the head of state said.

12:10 17.06.2019

Experts analyzing new images from Mars have discovered something extraordinary. They found a dune on the planet's surface that is shaped like the Starfleet logo from the Star Trek movie. Such a statement by scientists very excited the fans of the film and even some of the actors who were involved in the shooting of the film. Scientists have explained why a dune of this shape was formed. In their opinion, this is all due to the interaction of wind, sand and lava. It was they who caused the logo from the film to appear on Mars. Specialists have disappointed fans of the film,

16:46 11.06.2019

The project of an experimental Mars helicopter, which will go to the Red Planet in the company of the new NASA aerospace agency Mars rover in 2020, has approached the final phase of testing. As the US space agency points out on its official website, this mission will be the first time in history that a rotorcraft will be operated in the atmosphere of Mars (and other planets in general). No one has built a helicopter for Mars before, so for us, as for everyone else, this is completely new and unique.

09:45 12.04.2019

Why is Elon Musk more efficient than Roskosmos and where is cosmonautics heading? Interview On April 12, Russia and the world celebrate Cosmonautics Day, when Yuri Gagarin made the first manned flight into space. For Russia, the space industry remains of strategic importance. This is one of the few industries where Russia maintains an advantage in the world, our rocket engines are in great demand in the United States. Nevertheless, Roskosmos is constantly shaken by scandals, primarily of a corruption nature. What is our potential to maintain the position of the world leader in the space industry,

17:45 27.03.2019

1. NASA conducted computerized testing of a flying drone for the Mars 2020 mission. On May 11, 2018, the US space agency announced that the Mars 2020 mission rover will carry a small helicopter. Weighing only 1.8 kg, this small apparatus will be a technology demonstrator, and its only instrument will be a small camera. The main difficulty for the project is the very rarefied atmosphere of Mars. Its density at the surface of the planet is comparable to the density of the Earth's atmosphere at an altitude of 30 km. At this height, terrestrial helicopters are simply

16:55 21.03.2019

March 19, 2019 NPO them. Lavochkin sent a flight sample of the landing platform of the ExoMars-2020 mission to the Thales Alenia Space company in Turin, Italy. During 2019, on-board equipment, batteries, an aerodynamic screen and a rear casing will also be sent from Russia. In Italy, the final assembly of the landing module will be carried out (in particular, an on-board computer must be installed on it), and then it will go for testing at another Thales Alenia Space enterprise in France. Mission start

14:51 12.03.2019

Anyone who dreams of seeing humans travel to Mars will be delighted to hear what NASA has to say about the progress on the ship that will take us there. The Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule are coming together, NASA said. The agency has provided a rough schedule for seeing two spacecraft in the sky. An unmanned test flight is tentatively scheduled for 2020, and a manned mission around the moon for 2023. NASA is preparing to conquer space with SLS In recent weeks, all eyes have been riveted17:00 02/13/2019

The private Dutch company Mars One, which promised to send an expedition to the Red Planet by 2027 and received tens of millions of dollars from investors, turns out to be bankrupt. (esoreiter.ru) This suddenly became known thanks to an inquisitive Internet user who found the company's financial statements on the Web, which are freely available. It turned out that the enterprise was placed under liquidation at the beginning of this year, but the management of Mars One did not make any announcements to the public. So ambitious

16:26 12.02.2019

1. In January 2019, the Curiosity rover left the area in which it was located for more than a year. Vera Rubin. He went to a place with a high content of clay rocks, which was called Glen Torridon. NASA released the latest panorama of Gale Crater taken from the Vera Rubin Ridge on December 19th. On it you can see the next destination of the rover. It is marked with two arrows and is in the direction to the top of Mount Sharp (Upper Mount Sharp). Curiosity will spend 2019 in this area. https://youtu.be/e-gZpz8zuDQ 2. February 6 NASA

15:09 08.02.2019

Today I'm going to talk about how a story that began and ended over 40 years ago suddenly took on a continuation today. About how a simple VKontakte username, in its interest in Mars, reached NASA. The fact that the international solidarity of scientists is not an empty phrase. And that space is closer than it seems. We were looking for Mars-3. And we found it! Right on Mars, at the bottom of the giant Ptolemy Crater, among the lifeless wastelands and boulders. About how we did it, today's story. It all started on Habré No, it began, of course, on May 28, distant

An incredible panorama of the surface of Mars has been created from images taken by the Curiosity rover. He has been traveling around the "red planet", studying it, since 2012. One of the onboard cameras took 16 images, which NASA then combined into a stunning ultra-wide panorama. From which they also made a video.

The photos have been color-balanced to give them a more "earthy" tint to the eye, muting the actual rust-red color typical of Mars. This gave the pictures some resemblance to terrestrial landscapes, writes Daily Mail.

Video: Martian landscapes Curiosity

The images were taken by the rover on October 25, 2017, during the 1856 sol (Martian day) since the start of the Curiosity mission. Thanks to the more rarefied Martian atmosphere compared to the Earth's, mountains are clearly visible in the photo at a distance of about 80 kilometers.

In addition, the video shows Curiosity's route since the mission began in August 2012.

NASA photo.

The pictures were taken from an area called the Vera Rubin Ridge. This image shows the landing site (Bradbury Landing) where Curiosity first touched the Martian surface over 2,000 days ago. It also marks other significant mission sites. Take Yellowknife Bay, for example, where the rover found traces of an ancient freshwater lake that scientists believe contained all of the essential chemical ingredients for microbial life.

In total, since August 6, 2012, Curiosity has traveled about 18 km across Mars. It carries 80 kg of scientific equipment, the entire rover weighs a total of 899 kg and is powered by a generator that generates electricity from the natural decay of the plutonium-238 isotope. Plutonium, by the way, was bought, presumably, in Russia.

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On this life-affirming note, we say goodbye, thank you for being with us, pleasant Martian dreams!

Scientists around the world have already responded to the discovery. According to Kirsten Seebach of Rice University (Houston), the discovery will violate the arguments of many skeptics of the habitable Mars theory. “The big takeaway from all of this is that we can find evidence. We can find organic material that has been preserved in clay for over 3 billion years. And we are seeing the release of gases that may be associated with subsurface life, or at least associated with warm, humid conditions in which life successfully thrives on Earth, ”she said.

The main idea that was conveyed to NASA is that this is not life yet, but we got very close to it. “With these new discoveries, Mars is telling us to keep looking for signs of life. I am confident that our ongoing and future missions are preparing even more exciting discoveries on the Red Planet, ”said Thomas Zurbuchen, head of NASA science programs.

The NASA press conference ended, scientists managed to answer a number of questions from journalists. One of them concerned the possibility of using methane in the atmosphere as fuel in future expeditions to Mars. The answer is, of course, yes!

In itself, the discovery of methane on Mars is not news. In small concentrations, it was fixed there before. The current discovery is that for the first time a seasonal cyclicity in its concentration has been discovered. “For the first time, we see something recurring in the methane situation, which gives us the opportunity to understand. This became possible due to the long work of the rover. Long work allowed us to see a picture of seasonal "breathing", - Chris Webster explained.

Scientists suggest that methane may be contained in the subsurface layer of Mars, in water-containing crystals called clathrates. It is assumed that changes in temperature during the change of seasons cause the gas to escape and change concentration.

The concentration of methane in the northern hemisphere reaches a peak at the end of the Martian summer and is 2.7 times higher than the minimum values.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

As for methane in the atmosphere, Christopher Webster does not rule out that currently living microbes are a possible source of the gas. "With this new information we cannot rule out microbial activity as a possible source," he said.

“The discovery of organics adds to the history of the habitability of the planet. This tells us that these ancient conditions could have supported life. Everything needed to sustain life was there. But that doesn't tell us that life was there."

These molecules can be building material for life, but may have other origins. Scientists cannot yet say whether their origin is connected with processes in wildlife. “There are three possible sources. The first is life we don't know about. The second is meteorites. And the third is geological processes, which means that the stones form themselves, ”says Eigenbrod.

The second discovery is the discovery in the surface layer of three specific types of organic molecules.

NASA emphasizes that the discovery of methane molecules does not mean the discovery of life on the planet. Despite the fact that on Earth, methane is indeed often of biogenic origin.

The rover's spectrometer, which analyzes the composition of the atmosphere over the past three years, has recorded seasonal fluctuations in methane - the concentration during these fluctuations changes three times!

Paul Mahaffy:

We are talking about the discovery of "intriguing" organic molecules in the atmosphere of Mars - methane!

the conference has begun!

The Russian neutron detector DAN (Dynamic Neutron Albedo) was also installed on board. DAN is a neutron "probe" - the generator of the device irradiates the surface of the planet with high-energy neutrons and determines the content of hydrogen, and hence water, as well as hydrated minerals, by the property of the secondary neutron flux. Areas with a large amount of these substances are of the greatest interest for the search for traces of life.

Gale Crater was chosen for landing not by chance - in the distant past it was a Martian sea, and minerals formed during the life of this reservoir accumulated at its bottom. It was assumed that the study of its soil will answer the question of the existence of life on Mars.

In the meantime, let's remember the history of this rover. It was delivered to Mars on August 6, 2012. The rover was sent to the Red Planet to find out if conditions suitable for life existed on Mars, to collect detailed data on the climate and geology of Mars, and to prepare for a human landing on Mars.

The three-meter rover weighs 899 kg and travels at speeds up to 144 m/h. It is equipped with cameras, a set of remote research tools, a spectrometer, a bucket for soil sampling, and a set of meteorological equipment. In total, he has 10 scientific instruments for studying the external conditions on the surface of Mars and 17 color and black-and-white cameras for navigation and filming.

The press conference will be attended by Paul Mahaffy, director of solar system research at the Space Flight Center. NASA Goddard; Jennifer Eigenbrod, specialist at the Goddard Space Flight Center; Chris Webster, Chris Webster, Senior Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena; Ashwin Vasawada, Research Fellow, Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

NASA often convenes journalists in advance to announce new results of space missions, and this was the case this time. Journalists were invited to NASA headquarters in Washington. The theme is a new discovery made by the famous Curiosity rover. The meeting is timed to coincide with the publication of scientific articles about this discovery in the journal Science. The essence of the discovery was not announced in advance, it is known only to scientists and science journalists who have a subscription to the journal Science. However, articles there are published under a strict embargo, so this cannot be discussed until 21.00 Moscow time. Let's just say that this is very interesting and concerns the eternal Martian question.

Good evening, dear readers of Gazeta.Ru, this evening we will follow together with you an unusual announcement announced by NASA a few days ago, which concerns an important scientific discovery made on the surface of Mars.

Since the first expeditions successfully landed on the Red Planet at the end of the 20th century, we have gradually managed to unravel many of the mysteries of Mars. Thanks to technological progress, we are learning more and more about this exciting planet.

Here are the most Interesting Facts about the red planet, which will surely reveal something new to you.

Mars has two very different hemispheres

One of the most interesting characteristics Mars - strong differences between the surfaces of the northern and southern hemispheres.

The northern hemisphere is made up of low-lying plains that make the planet's topography look young, while the southern hemisphere is cratered, canyoned, and looks rough and ancient.

In addition, the surface in the southern part is thicker than in the north. These differences still cause a lot of controversy among specialists, and no one can explain the reason for such a difference in relief.

Snow on Mars will evaporate before it reaches the surface

If a person could stand on the equator of Mars, he would feel that the lower part of his body is in a hot climate, and the upper one in a cold one. While the feet are heated at a temperature of 21 degrees Celsius, the head is cool, because at such an altitude the temperature is 0 degrees. No wonder the snow doesn't stand a chance.

Mars looks reddish due to rusty dust in the atmosphere

The surface of Mars contains a lot of iron. These minerals oxidize or rust, forming dust that enters the atmosphere, giving the planet a reddish tint not only up close, but from afar.

Mars is a terrestrial planet

Just like the Earth, Venus and Mercury are the inner planets of the solar system.

Mars has a rocky surface and an iron core. Unlike the outer planets such as Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn, which are composed of gases, the terrestrial planets have solid surfaces. They all have a similar structure - core, mantle and crust. However, the thickness of each layer varies from planet to planet.

The planet is riddled with deep craters

There are several large craters on the surface of the red planet, the largest of which is the North Pole, which occupies about 40% of the surface of the entire planet. Scientists believe that the crater could have formed as a result of a collision with a cosmic body the size of Pluto. This could have happened at an early stage in the formation of the solar system.

Very low pressure on the surface of Mars

If you decide to walk on Mars without a space suit, be prepared for the consequences. The atmospheric pressure of Mars is a hundred times lower than on Earth! Such pressure causes almost any liquid, consisting at least half of water, to intense boiling and evaporation. The same fate awaits the blood of a man who entered the atmosphere of Mars without a spacesuit.

There is water on Mars

Exploration missions to Mars focus on finding evidence of life on the red planet. The bulk of the search is aimed at tracking the presence of liquid water, which makes life possible on Earth. Today it is known that there is water on Mars, however, not quite in the form that is familiar to us. The Phoenix probe has detected a layer of ice hidden under a thin layer of soil in the polar region of Mars.

In the past, Mars may have had rivers and oceans

Scientists believe that liquid water flowed on the surface of Mars a long time ago, and its traces remained on the surface and in the soil.

In 2013, scientists reported that the Curiosity rover made a soil analysis, as a result of which there was actual evidence of the presence of water on Mars in the past.

This important discovery confirms the hypothesis that Mars was habitable in the past.

The Mariner Valleys are the longest and deepest canyon system in the solar system.

This system of canyons is able to plug the Grand Canyon into the belt without any problems. The Mariner Canyon is 4,000 kilometers long and four times the depth of the Grand Canyon.

Mars has a very thin atmosphere

You won't be able to breathe Martian air because carbon dioxide makes up 95.3% of the entire Martian atmosphere and oxygen only makes up 0.13 percent.

It never rains on Mars

The surface of Mars is either very hot or very cold, so liquid water cannot exist there. It turns into either ice or steam.

But it's snowing on Mars

True, it is not quite similar to our earthly one. This is another fun and amazing fact about Mars - the snowflakes there are made of carbon dioxide and not out of the water. Snowflakes are so tiny that we would perceive them as fog.

Giant sandstorms rage on Mars

A single sandstorm can cover an entire planet in dust and last for months.

Want to weigh less? Onward to Mars!

On the surface of Mars, you can jump three times higher than on Earth, unless you are wearing a heavy space suit, of course. The surface gravity of Mars is about 37% less than that of Earth.

No one knows for sure who discovered Mars

The discovery of Mars cannot be accurately attributed to one person or culture.

There are suggestions that the ancient Egyptians discovered it in 1570 BC. e. However, the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus is also often credited as the discoverer of Mars, as he was the first to observe it through a telescope.

There are four seasons on Mars

Both Mars and Earth are tilted on their axis. The axial tilt of Mars almost exactly matches the tilt of the Earth's axis, so Mars also has winter, spring, summer and autumn, though each of the seasons of the red planet lasts twice as long.

A year on Mars is almost twice as long as Earth

A sunny day on the red planet lasts 24 hours, 39 minutes and 35 seconds, almost the same as on ours. A year on Mars, however, is almost twice as long, at 687 days.

Mars has two moons

Mars has two moons - Phobos and Deimos. Like our Moon, they are tidally locked and only show one side of Mars. These satellites are very small in size and may be asteroids.

The highest volcano on Mars is three times higher than Everest

The highest volcano on Mars, named Olympus Mons, or Mount Olympus, is the highest mountain in the entire solar system. It towers over the surrounding plains for 25 kilometers. The foot of the volcano could occupy the entire state of Arizona.

There are pieces of Mars on Earth

Despite the fact that not a single rover has returned from an expedition to the red planet, there are still pieces of Mars on Earth. How? Several meteorites found in Antarctica have broken off Mars, as the composition of the stones is fully consistent with the Martian soil and atmosphere.

Missions to Mars cost a lot of money

This fact in itself will not surprise anyone. Of course, sending an expensive spacecraft to a neighboring planet cannot be a cheap pleasure. However, look at the numbers. At the price level of the 1970s, the Viking mission cost the United States about a billion dollars.

The budget of the Curiosity rover, one of the last Mars rovers scientific laboratories, is almost unbearable two and a half billion dollars. This is the most expensive space mission to date.

Flight to Mars and back will take more than a year

If you are planning to become a member of an expedition to Mars, get ready for a long flight. It will take you about eight months to reach the surface of the red planet, and another eight to return home to Earth. This is not a transatlantic flight or a train ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Traveling to Mars (56 million kilometers) at the speed of a car or train would take almost a lifetime - 66 years.