Mars Science Laboratory

While the idea of living on Mars may seem worthless and impractical, the colonization of Mars could have a worthwhile effect on not only the Earth, but the Universe. Space travel has been on hold since the space race in the sixties, but given the current spark in curiosity and drive, the idea of going to Mars is becoming a reality. Having an alternative Earth may seem frivolous, but at the rate at which the Earth itself is depleting, an alternative home planet is the most viable option for…

Giant Impact Theory The moons formation isn't clear to this day, although it does have many theories on its formation. The moons biggest theory is the Giant Impact Theory, which states that a mars sized object strikes earth breaking pieces off, and the gravitational force combines the broken pieces of earth into one, which is known as the Earths moon. The Earths and moons mantle are exactly identical, supporting the impact theory ("Origin of the Moon"). The moon doesn't have any identical…

The Dawn Mission created an image of the Solar System completed by learning both distinct bodies with the same tools on the same spacecraft. In order for the Dawn to carry three science instruments data that will be used in combination to characterize the bodies. The data information that returned from the spacecraft could offer chances for information in our knowledge of how the Solar System shaped. The instruments that are involved are a visible camera, a visible and electromagnetic mapping…

In a recent NASA blog post, Kelsi Singer, a researcher at Southwest Research Institute working on NASA’s New Horizons, goes over an interesting discovery made about Pluto: It seems to have a near infinite supply of nitrogen. Pluto is Gassy The most recent images returned by New Horizons shows that Pluto’s surface is mostly composed of nitrogen, just like Earth’s. There is; however, about a 20 percent difference in composition; Earth’s atmosphere is around ~78 percent nitrogen while Pluto’s is…

After watching Cosmos: When Knowledge Conquers Fear, tons of informative information were shown, which included history about two well-known astronomers / scientists. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, introduced us to comets and gravity, the work of Edmund Halley and Isaac Newton. Learning about the Halley comet on its 76-year trip around the Sun, getting a closer look of Isaac Newton and Edmond Halley’s friendship and how they changed the understanding of the world. While watching, I could understand some…

To the folks at UFO Sightings Daily, NASA's archive of Mars images from its rovers is better than a candy shop. Every visit yields a new treat. "Alien critter found on Mars, gazing at rover," reads the headline on a post published recently. If you squint at the accompanying image, which is so zoomed-in that it's pixelated and fuzzy, you can almost see a tiny creature with spindly arms and a pumpkin-shaped head peering out from behind a rock. Also spotted: two alien ships, a reptile head, a…

The Sun has been known to be an important aspect of life for every living organism on Earth. The Sun is made out of multiple layers and contains a core like Earth. It is classified as a Yellow Dwarf Star and has a surface temperature of 5,000 to 5,700 degrees celsius. But despite of this, there are many other stars in space that dwarf our Sun. The Sun also has an interesting history, from when it has been formed to the present time. The Sun is not the only star in the Milky Way. Another star…

genuine or realistic, which brought many lessons to learn from. The story started off with Mark cursing and explaining his situation, while in amidst all that having to bear a minor wound that was the sole source of his survival. Mark is part of a manned mars mission group called ARES 3. Due to a massive sandstorm…

dark lines appear and disappear seasonally on the surface of Mars. The lines would appear and vanish in the same places during the warmer seasons, near the planet’s equator. This phenomenon is known as slope lineae. NASA has just confirmed that saltwater found in perchlorates’ crystal structure is what causes this to happen. This is very controversial because it raises the intriguing questions of whether or not life could exist on Mars. However, scientists don’t know where this water is coming…

Mars, the fourth planet away from the sun, is our next door neighbor. Since Mars is pretty close to Earth (compared to other planets) and we have the technology; people will move there and never come back. This one way ticket to Mars is called Mars One. People have made this the experience of the century, and each day we learn more and more about Mars. Leaving Earth to go to Mars probably means leaving your whole life on Earth and starting a new life on a whole new different planet that you…