A new ovoid structure discovered in the Nakhla Martian meteorite is made of nanocrystalline iron-rich clay, contains a variety of minerals, and shows evidence of undergoing a past shock event from impact, with resulting melting of the permafrost and mixing of surface and subsurface fluids. The findings appear in a newly published paper in the journal Astrobiology. While the authors, Elias Chatzitheodoridis (National Technical University of Athens) and Sarah Haigh and Ian Lyon (University of Manchester, UK) do not believe the formation of this structure involved biological materials, that is a possible hypothesis, and they note that evidence exists supporting the presence of niche environments in the Martian subsurface that could support life…. [More at link]
-
Recent Posts
Tags
Aeolis Mons Arizona State University ASU atmosphere Beautiful Mars Cape Tribulation clouds craters Curiosity dunes dust Endeavour Crater ESA European Space Agency Gale Crater High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment HiRISE Malin Space Science Systems Marathon Valley MARCI Mars Color Imager Mars Exploration Rover Mars Odyssey Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Science Laboratory mass wasting MER Mount Sharp MRO MSL MSSS Murray Formation NASA Opportunity sand dunes Stimson Formation storms THEMIS THEMIS Image of the Day Thermal Emission Imaging System University of Arizona Vera Rubin Ridge volcanics weather windArchives
Links
general
mission instruments
- CRISM: Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars
- CTX: Context Camera
- HiRISE: High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment
- MARSIS: Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding
- SHARAD: Shallow Radar
- THEMIS: Thermal Emission Imaging System
missions
- All Mars missions list
- Curiosity rover
- ExoMars
- Hope (al-Amal) orbiter
- InSight
- Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN)
- Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)
- Mars Express (MEX)
- Mars Odyssey
- Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) / Mangalyaan
- Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)
- Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)
- Perseverance Rover
- Tianwen-1 orbiter/rover
news