Tag Archives: Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN

MAVEN: Four (Earth) years in Mars orbit

[Ed. note: The video shows a presentation on September 20, 2018, by MAVEN principal investigator Bruce Jakosky providing an update on the latest data from the mission. The story excerpted below is on the MAVEN mission website.] Today [September 21], … Continue reading

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MAVEN: Seeing Mars as an exoplanet

Results from MAVEN have provided a detailed understanding of the evolution of the Martian atmosphere and the history of its climate. In a Planetary Report article, published by The Planetary Society, MAVEN Principal Investigator Bruce Jakosky and Deputy PI Dave … Continue reading

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MAVEN: Challenges of resurrecting the martian atmosphere

Many people have suggested that future Mars colonists may want to thicken the Martian atmosphere and make it breathable for long-term habitation of the Red Planet. In this MAVEN outreach webinar from August 15, 2018, MAVEN Co-Investigator Dr. Robert Lillis … Continue reading

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MAVEN: Loss of atmosphere drove climate change on Mars

MAVEN research shows that atmospheric loss to space has been the major process driving climate change on Mars. Research using MAVEN data indicates that Mars’ atmospheric loss over time has been at least 0.8 bar CO₂ or the equivalent of … Continue reading

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Mars hasn’t enough CO2 for terraforming

A new study of the quantity of carbon dioxide on Mars has compiled a planet-wide inventory of the CO2 it holds in all its accessible reservoirs: atmosphere, ice, and locked up in surface carbonate rocks and other potential sources. The … Continue reading

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MAVEN: ‘Stolen’ electrons cause unusual Mars aurora

Auroras appear on Earth as ghostly displays of colorful light in the night sky, usually near the poles. Our rocky neighbor Mars has auroras too, and NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft just found a new type of Martian aurora that occurs over … Continue reading

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Mars ‘storm chasers’ seek dusty secrets

Storm chasing takes luck and patience on Earth — and even more so on Mars. For scientists watching the Red Planet from data gathered by NASA’s orbiters, the past month has been a windfall. “Global” dust storms, where a runaway … Continue reading

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MAVEN: Webinar July 25 on restoring the martian atmosphere

Many people have suggested that future Mars colonists may want to thicken the Martian atmosphere and make it breathable for long-term habitation of the Red Planet. Join MAVEN Co-Investigator Dr. Robert Lillis of the UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory to … Continue reading

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Exploring planetary plasma environments by laptop

A new database of plasma simulations, combined with observational data and powerful visualisation tools, is providing planetary scientists with an unprecedented way to explore some of the Solar System’s most interesting plasma environments. This digital space exploration story starts with … Continue reading

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MAVEN observations on dust storms

The Opportunity rover has proven hardier than expected by operating for nearly 15 years, despite being designed for a 90-day mission. The rover regularly deals with intense dust storms at the surface of the Red Planet and occasionally has to … Continue reading

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