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known as Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034, is the second-oldest of 110 named stones originating from Mars that have been retrieved on Earth

Purchased from a Moroccan meteorite dealer in 2011, the black, baseball-sized stone, which weighs less than 1 pound, is 2.1 billon years old, meaning it formed during what is known as the early Amazonian era in Mars' geologic history.

The only older Mars meteorite found so far is the 4-billion-year-old Allan Hills 84001 Antarctica stone that was the source of speculation about microfossils in 1996

Early Mars was believed to be warm and wet, but the planet lost most of its atmosphere and its surface water to become a cold, dry desert that appears today

The time from when our meteorite is from is maybe a transitional period in the climate, when Mars was losing its atmosphere, losing its water on the surface

relatively rich in water -- about 6,000 parts per million -- compared with typical Martian meteorites that contain about 200- to 300 parts per million

similar to basaltic rocks on Earth that form in volcanic eruptions

NWA 7034, nicknamed "Black Beauty," also contains tiny bits of carbon, formed from geologic, not biological activity

Scientists don't know why more meteorites like Black Beauty haven't been found on Earth. The period of time from which they originated may be relatively short, or most may not survive the trip through Earth's atmosphere

This one does look completely different," he added. "It's jet black. The others are slightly greenish cast

After an initial battery of tests revealed the rock's unique nature, meteorite hunters returned to the area where it was found to search for other similar stones

took several months to get an idea of what it was

eventually realized there was no other conclusion but that it was Martian and that it was different from all the other ones

If it were similar, we would have known within one day," he added

Four more pieces, all smaller than the original, have now been found

also has additional color calibration tools for the rover’s Mastcam

; in addition to the words “Mars 2012″ and “To Mars, To Explore” around its top bezel,

along its edge

Along with line drawings and the word for “Mars” in sixteen languages, Curiosity’s sundial bears the following inscription

“For millennia, Mars has stimulated our imaginations. First, we saw Mars as a wandering star, a bringer of war from the abode of the gods. In recent centuries, the planet’s changing appearance in telescopes caused us to think that Mars had a climate like the Earth’s. Our first space age views revealed only a cratered, Moon-like world, but later missions showed that Mars once had abundant liquid water. Through it all, we have wondered: Has there been life on Mars? To those taking the next steps to find out, we wish a safe journey and the joy of discovery.”

snow on Mars fell from clouds around the planet's south pole during the Martian winter spanning 2006 and 2007

The Martian south pole hosts a frozen carbon dioxide — or "dry ice" — cap year-round

new discovery may help explain how it formed and persists, researchers

the first definitive detections of carbon-dioxide snow clouds

"We firmly establish the clouds are composed of carbon dioxide — flakes of Martian air — and they are thick enough to result in snowfall accumulation at the surface.

find means Mars hosts two different kinds of snowfall

In 2008, NASA's Phoenix lander observed water-ice snow

near the Red Planet's north pole

studied data gathered by MRO's Mars Climate Sounder instrument during the Red Planet's southern winter in 2006-2007

instrument measures brightness in nine different wavelengths of visible and infrared light, allowing scientists to learn key characteristics of the particles and gases in the Martian atmosphere, such as their sizes and concentrations.

one behemoth 300 miles (500 kilometers) wide

One line of evidence for snow is that the carbon-dioxide ice particles in the clouds are large enough to fall to the ground during the lifespan of the clouds

Another comes from observations when the instrument is pointed toward the horizon

"The infrared spectra signature of the clouds viewed from this angle is clearly carbon-dioxide ice particles, and they extend to the surface

"The finding of snowfall could mean that the type of deposition — snow or frost — is somehow linked to the year-to-year preservation of the residual ca

Dry ice requires temperatures of about minus 193 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 125 Celsius) to fall, reinforcing just how cold the Martian surface is.

Astronomers still aren't entirely sure how the dry ice sustaining Mars' south polar cap — the only place where frozen carbon dioxide exists year-round on the planet's surface — is deposited. It could come from snowfall, or the stuff may freeze out of the air at ground level, researchers said.

team looked at temperature and pressure profiles taken by MRO to determine where and when conditions would allow carbon dioxide snow particles to form

analyzed measurements from MGS' laser altimeter, which gauged the topography of Mars by timing how long laser pulses took to bounce back from the planet's surface

Occasionally, the laser beam returned faster than anticipated, after ricocheting off cloud particles in the Martian atmosphere.

analyzing how much light these clouds reflected, the researchers were able to calculate the density of carbon dioxide in each one.

figured out the total mass of snow particles hovering above Mars' poles by examining earlier measurements of tiny, seasonal shifts in the planet's gravitational field.

put all of this information together to calculate the number and size of individual snow particles in the polar clouds at various times

found that particle size differed from pole to pole, with flakes in the north measuring between 8 to 22 microns and those in the south just 4 to 13 microns.

about comparable to the width of a human red blood cell, the researches said.

here are many types of terrestrial microbes that don’t generate methane

Curiosity

sniffed the atmosphere six times for methane between October 2012 and June 2013

didn’t see any sign of the molecule

The instrument

would be able to detect minute concentrations

Scientists today estimate methane on Mars must be 1.3 parts per billion at the most, which is only one-sixth as much as earlier estimates

results are intriguing given that other teams have spotted methane on Mars as far back as 1999

Mars Global Surveyor, which was working for more than 10 years, charted the evolution of Martian methane over three years

NASA Earth-bound observations using spectroscopic measurements reported even greater amounts in the Martian atmosphere in 2009,

reports of the highest concentrations of Mars methane came from Earth-based observatories

imply that they think peering through Earth’s atmosphere may have distorted the measurements

Some Earthly measurements indicated local regions with methane as high as 45 parts per billion

s no known way for methane to disappear quickly from the atmosphere

should be able to continue converting the heat of plutonium-238's radioactive decay into electricity for a long time

think it has 55 years of positive power margin

NASA will also keep its other Mars assets going as long as possible

include the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and the Opportunity rover

applies to NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter as well

doesn't expect the spacecraft to still be viable in 2021

launched in 2001 and has been showing some signs of age

particularly important for the 2020 rover mission to have functioning orbiters at Mars to help relay communications back and forth to Earth

mission would combine a commercial space capsule and inflatable module into a single spacecraft that will carry a man and a woman, possibly a married couple, to Mars and back. 

A number of companies and nonprofit organizations are developing plans to visit Mars, the moon and asteroids, for a variety of purposes

More information on MA365 — perhaps with information on crew selection — should come in August, when members of the Phase 1 crew issue a report at the 16th Annual International Mars Society Convention

anyone who is at least 18 years old can apply to become a Mars colony pioneer

important criteria, officials say, are intelligence, good mental and physical health and dedication to the project, as astronauts will undergo eight years of training before launch.

Mars One plans to launch a series of robotic cargo missions between 2016 and 2021, which will build a habitable Red Planet outpost ahead of the arrival of the first four colonists in 2023.

More settlers will arrive every two years after that. There are no plans to return the pioneers to Earth

fund most of its ambitious activities by staging a global reality-TV event

Well before the official Astronaut Selection Program, we received more than 1,000 emails from individuals who desire to go to Mars

researchers carried out experiments on samples from the Murchison meteorite, which fell on Australia more than 40 years ago

team took particles from the rock – which has a similar composition to meteorites on Mars

exposed them to levels of ultraviolet radiation equivalent to sunlight on the red planet, which is cooler than Earth.

the amount of methane given off by the particles was significant, and could account for a large part of the methane in Mars' atmosphere.

(13.8 minutes) for radio signal to reach Earth from Mars

landing will be at about 3 p.m. local time at the Mars landing site.

How long does it take for the rover to get to Mars’ surface after it reaches the outer atmosphere?

How big is the parachute?

How big are the spacecraft and the rover?

How does the rover get its power for roving?

What are the science instruments on board Curiosity?

How many cameras are on Curiosity?

When did Curiosity launch?

How far is Mars away from Earth?

How fast can Curiosity rove?

Where is Curiosity’s landing site?

What will the weather be like at Gale Crater?

How many possible landing sites did scientists considered before deciding on Gale Crater?

How long is the primary mission?

How much does this mission cost?

Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft and Curiosity rover is designed to handle dust and winds, so a light storm wouldn't have been a huge problem

could have caused added turbulence, interfering with the spacecraft's guided entry and landing

could still land safely

with a little less accuracy

latest imagery from the Mars orbiters shows the dust storm clearing

Curiosity used both of her high resolution color mast mounted cameras to collect a series of Earth/Moon images

Processing has removed the numerous cosmic ray strikes

these are not the first images of the Earth from Mars orbit or Mars surface

NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit imaged Earth from the surface in March 2004, soon after landing

Mars Global Surveyor in 2003 and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2007

NASA’s Cassini orbiter at Saturn captured the Earth and Moon

in 2013

While the

rover was designed to withstand punishing space weather, its

decided to power it down as a precaution since it suffered a recent computer problem

Opportunity rover and two NASA spacecraft circling overhead carried on with normal activities

The eruption did not appear severe or extreme, but "middle of the road

was not expected to have an impact on Earth

Since Mars lacks a planet-wide magnetic field, it does not experience geomagnetic storms

the planet sees a spike in radiation

Powerful solar blasts can cause trouble to Mars spacecraft. In 2003, an intense solar flare knocked out the radiation detector on the Odyssey orbiter

In the worst-case scenario, one or more of the working Mars spacecraft may enter "safe mode" in which science activities are halted but they remain in contact with Earth.

The delay means it'll take longer for Curiosity to return to analyzing the pinch of rock powder it collected from a recent drilling

Engineers were in the middle of troubleshooting when they decided to wait for the weather to pass

Spirit and Opportunity were originally supposed to spend three months searching for evidence of past water activity on the Red Planet

The golf-cart-size robots found plenty of such signs at their separate landing sites, showing that Mars was not always the cold and arid planet we know today

in 2007 Spirit uncovered an ancient hydrothermal system in Gusev Crater, suggesting that two key ingredients for life as we know it — liquid water and an energy source — were both present in some parts of Mars long ago

Opportunity is currently inspecting clay deposits along the rim of Mars' huge Endeavour Crater. Clays form in relatively neutral (as opposed to acidic or basic) water, so the area may once have been capable of supporting primitive microbial life

Spirit finally stopped communicating with Earth in March 2010, after getting mired in soft sand and failing to maneuver into a position that would allow it to slant its solar panels toward the sun over the 2009-2010 Martian winter. NASA declared the rover dead in 2011

Opportunity keeps chugging along. It has put 22.03 miles (35.46 kilometers) on its odometer since landing on Mars

just 1 mile (1.6 km) off the all-time record for most ground covered on the surface of another world

Soviet Union's unmanned Lunokhod 2 rover holds that mark, traveling 23 miles (37 km) on the moon back in 1973

paper Tito plans to present at the IEEE Aerospace Conference in March, which discusses

a crewed free-return Mars mission that would fly by Mars

no going into orbit or landing

Such a 501-day mission would launch in January 2018, “using a modified SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched on a Falcon Heavy rocket,”

existing environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) technologies would allow such a spacecraft to support two people for the mission,

Crew comfort is limited to survival needs only.

sponge baths are acceptable, with no need for showers

the paper outlines how NASA would also have a role in this mission in terms of supporting key life support and thermal protection systems, even though this is a private-sector effort

No estimates of what such a mission would cost are included in the paper, but it does say it would be financed privately

The paper adds that if they miss this favorable 2018 opportunity, the next chance to take advantage of this lower energy trajectory would be in 2031.

More than 21,700 images taken by HiRISE are available for viewing on the instrument team's website: http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu .  

can reveal features as small as a desk

y in the dawn; look southeast

s just 4° or 5° from lesser Spica to its lower right.

highest in the south around 4 a.m., with Spica now under Mars.

the eastern sky in early evening

. It crosses nearly overhead (for mid-northern observers) around 9 or 10 p.m

) rises around 1 or 2 a.m. and is high in the south at dawn

Regulus in Leo to the Moon's left during evening.

"Morning Star" in the dawn; look southeast

) rises around 10 or 11 p.m. now

5° to the right of

It crosses nearly overhead (for mid-northern observers) around 9 p.m.

rises around 1 a.m. and is highest in the south at dawn.

by 28°

Wednesday, February 19

Go out after 11 tonight, and low in the east-southeast, where the Moon has just risen or is about to rise, you'll find bright, fiery Mars with Spica to its right.

Thursday, February 20 As dawn breaks Friday morning the 21st, spot the waning Moon in the south with Saturn to its left. Off to their right are Mars and Spica (out of the frame above).

before and during dawn; look southeast. It's at its brightest this week.

rises around 10 p.m. now, a fiery blaze 5° or 6° to the right of icy Spica. The two of them are highest in the south around 3 or 4 a.m., with Spica now to Mars's lower right

Jupiter

high southeast in early evening. It crosses nearly overhead (for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes) around 8 or 9 p.m.

Saturn

rises around midnight or 1 a.m. and is highest in the south at the beginning of dawn. By then it's far to the left of Mars and Spica,

Venus

rises around 10 p.m

6° to the left of icy Spica. The two of them are highest in the south around 3 or 4 a.m., with Spica now lower right of Mar

Jupiter

e high south during evening

Thursday, March 13

left of the Moon this evening for Regulus. It's the bottom star in the handle of the Sickle of Leo.

Venus

"Morning Star" before and during dawn; look southeast.

rises around 9 p.m

Mars (

Spica 5° or 6° to its right

highest in the south around 2 a.m., with Spica now lower right of Mars

Jupiter

overhead during evening

Saturn

rises around 11 p.m. and is highest in the south before dawn

clearly show us a chemistry that would've been suitable for life at the Opportunity site

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft spotted them from orbit, leading the rover team to point the golf-cart-size robot toward its current location, which is known as Matijevic Hill.

From orbit, we have seen the unambiguous infrared spectral signature of clays along the rim of Endeavour Crater

Opportunity has already circumnavigated Matijevic Hill

ikely stay at Matijevic Hill for a while, trying to understand how the clays were laid down billions of years ago

Opportunity is still going strong. It has some age-related issues, such as an arthritic arm, but the rover remains in good health

Part of the work will involve investigating mysterious tiny spherules Opportunity has discovered embedded in the clay matrix

initially thought the BB-size gray spheres were similar to the iron-rich "blueberries"

initial analyses have shown that's not the case, leading Squyres to dub them "newberries."

The team isn't sure exactly what the newberries are, or how they formed