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Mars Atmosphere

All articles tagged with #mars atmosphere

space11 hours ago•72 min saved

Mars shows Earthlike solar-wind bending in its atmosphere

NASA’s MAVEN data, gathered after it went quiet in 2025, reveal the Zwan-Wolf effect—an Earth-style solar-wind deflection—occurring in Mars’ upper atmosphere during a December 2023 solar storm. The finding suggests Mars’ atmosphere can host temporary magnetic structures that funnel charged particles, implying the effect may operate continuously there but is usually too weak to detect; the results were published in Nature Communications. NASA also notes MAVEN’s ongoing recovery efforts after a period of contact loss.

via Space|

#magnetosphere #mars-atmosphere #maven

space16 days ago•4 min saved

Tiny Probe Snaps Fresh Mars Crescent Ahead of Psyche Mission

NASA’s Psyche mission captured Mars as a bright, high-phase crescent from about 3 million miles away ahead of a May 15 gravity assist; the image, taken with a multispectral imager and a very short exposure, illustrates how Mars’ dusty atmosphere broadens the crescent and hints at seasonal clouds near the north polar cap—data used to calibrate cameras for the upcoming Mars approach and the 2029 Psyche asteroid mission.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#mars #mars-atmosphere #nasa

space28 days ago•7 min saved

MOXIE Signals Oxygen on Mars, but a Breathable Future Remains a Challenge

NASA confirms Mars has an atmosphere dominated by CO2 at about 1% of Earth’s pressure, with oxygen comprising only about 0.1%, making breathable air impossible without life-support; the MOXIE experiment on the Perseverance rover can generate oxygen from CO2 in small amounts, a critical step toward on-site resources for future crewed missions, but Mars’ extreme cold, radiation, and lack of liquid water mean astronauts would still need pressurized habitats and robust life-support systems. A human mission is being contemplated for the late 2030s, though sustaining life there remains a major challenge.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#human-exploration #mars-atmosphere #moxie

space8 months ago•5 min saved

ESA spacecraft captures vibrant colors in Mars' atmosphere

ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter captured detailed composite images of Mars' atmosphere, revealing delicate, layered dust and gas structures that vary with altitude and influence the planet's climate and weather patterns, enhancing our understanding of the Red Planet's atmospheric composition and behavior.

via Space|

#cassis #esa #exomars-trace-gas-orbiter

space2 years ago•3 min saved

"Stunning Views: Mars Spacecraft Captures Volcanoes, Noctis Labyrinthus, and Phobos Photobomb"

The European Space Agency's Mars Express Orbiter captured a detailed image of Mars, revealing giant volcanoes, valleys, craters, clouds, and the moon Phobos. The image showcases Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system, along with three other colossal shield volcanoes. Mars is covered in craters due to its proximity to the asteroid belt, and clouds made of water and carbon-dioxide ice can be seen at the poles. The planet's atmosphere has largely dissipated, leaving it intensely dry, but it was once a wet planet that could have supported primitive life.

via Mashable|

#european-space-agency #mars-atmosphere #mars-express-orbiter

space-science2 years ago•4 min saved

Unraveling the Mystery: Mars' Vanishing Solar Wind and its Impact on Water Loss

NASA's MAVEN mission observed a rare solar event in December 2022, causing the solar wind to "disappear" and leading to significant changes in Mars' atmosphere and magnetosphere. The event created a void in the solar wind, causing the Martian atmosphere and magnetosphere to expand. MAVEN's measurements provided vital insights into the planet's interaction with solar phenomena, offering valuable data for scientists studying Mars' response to extreme solar events.

via SciTechDaily|

#mars-atmosphere #maven-mission #nasa

space2 years ago•3 min saved

ISRO Gears Up for India's Second Mars Mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing for its second mission to Mars, Mangalyaan-2, nine years after its successful first attempt. The mission will carry four scientific instruments to study various aspects of Mars, including interplanetary dust, the Martian atmosphere, and the environment. The instruments include a Mars Orbit Dust Experiment (MODEX), a Radio Occultation (RO) experiment, an Energetic Ion Spectrometer (EIS), and a Langmuir Probe and Electric Field Experiment (LPEX). The mission aims to further explore and understand Mars' atmosphere and contribute to scientific knowledge about the red planet.

via Hindustan Times|

#isro #mangalyaan-2 #mars-atmosphere