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Hot Topic
Solar System
Mars
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Opal's Sparkle Indicates Water
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| Topic: Mars |
10/31/08 |
| A new category of minerals that suggests past liquid water on Mars has been found to cover large regions of the planet's surface. The minerals commonly known as opal suggest that liquid water played a role in shaping Mars' surface. |
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Shooting Life on Mars
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| Topic: Mars |
10/17/08 |
| Using a highly sensitive laser, scientists have developed a new method to search for cells in martian minerals. The technique reduces the risk of contamination and can detect incredibly low concentrations of biomolecules. |
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The Sun is Setting on Phoenix
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| Topic: Mars |
10/12/08 |
| NASA's Phoenix Lander is continuing to analyze the soil of Mars, providing further indications that liquid water was present at the surface. This is the first step in determining if Mars was once habitable for life as we know it. |
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Snow Falls on Mars
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| Topic: Mars |
10/01/08 |
| NASA's Phoenix lander has detected snow falling on Mars. Additional tests indicate the presence of calcium carbonate, suggesting that liquid water once interacted with the planet's soils. The new revelations about the martian climate will help scientists understand if Mars was once habitable for life. |
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Nicaraguan Volcano Provides Insight into Early Mars
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| Topic: Mars |
09/29/08 |
| Although volcanoes on Mars today are dormant or extinct, in the distant past the Red Planet was literally a hotbed of volcanic activity. Cerro Negro, an active volcano in Nicaragua, offers clues to what the martian era of fire and brimstone may have been like – and what types of organisms could have lived in that superheated world. |
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Evidence for Rain on Mars?
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| Topic: Mars |
09/28/08 |
| New evidence of lake deposits inside martian impact craters may indicate that precipitation once fed rivers and lakes on Mars. Precipitation at the martian surface could mean that the planet was once capable of supporting life as we know it. |
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Opportunity to Endeavour
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| Topic: Mars |
09/26/08 |
| After climbing out of Victoria crater, NASA's Mars Rover Opportunity is now making a long trek to a new crater called Endeavour. This large crater could hold more clues about the history of Mars' climate. |
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Color-Enhanced Mars
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| Topic: Mars |
09/21/08 |
| NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has returned more than 8,214 gigapixel-size images of the martian surface. The photos will aid in interpreting the martian landscape, yielding clues about past water on Mars and helping plan future surface missions. |
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Light Tones Highlight Water
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| Topic: Mars |
09/20/08 |
| New research indicates that flowing water on Mars may have been present far longer than previously believed. The finding provides new information about the potential for past life on Mars. |
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A Maven for Mars
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| Topic: Mars |
09/19/08 |
| A newly selected robotic mission to Mars will provide more detailed information about the planet's climate history and habitability than ever before. NASA's MAVEN spacecraft is currently scheduled to launch in 2013. |
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