Mars InSight Archives - Astrobiology

InSight mission seismometer -- NASA

Mars

New Evidence Suggests Vast Hidden Magma Systems Inside Mars

by Keith CowingJune 29, 2026June 29, 2026

[University of Oxford] Researchers from the University of Oxford have uncovered evidence that Mars once hosted enormous, Earth-like magmatic systems deep beneath its surface – despite the planet lacking the […]

Locations and spectral analysis of marsquakes and impacts. (a) Location of the 418 InSight station (yellow triangle) and events (black stars) used in this study. The S1000a and S1094b are two impact events, and the S0173a and S1222a are marsquakes that occurred at the crustal base or uppermost mantle. The black lines show the great circle of each event. (b)–(e) Spectral analysis of the four events for S0173a, S1000a, S1094b and S1222a. The yellow-shaded areas highlight P-wave signals (red lines) with strengths greater than the noise level (black lines). In contrast to the S0173a marsquake, which exhibits low frequencies (< 1 Hz), the two impact events (S1000a, S1094b) and the largest tectonic marsquake (S1222a) contain rich higher frequency (≥4 Hz) content. More detailed analyses are given in supplementary data S1. -- National Science Review

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Seismic Velocity Anomalies Suggest Liquid Water At Depth On Mars

by Keith CowingMay 9, 2025May 9, 2025

This study is jointly completed by Dr. Weijia Sun (Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences), Dr. Hrvoje Tkalčić (The Australian National University), Dr. Marco G. Malusà (University […]

SEIS (Seismic Experiment for the Interior Structure) -- NASA

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Tricorders & Sensors

Marsquakes And Meteorites Unveil The Potential For Subterranean Alien Lifeforms On Mars

by Keith CowingMarch 18, 2025

(From September 2024) Are subterranean lifeforms viable on Mars? A new interpretation of Martian seismic data by scientists Ikuo Katayama of Hiroshima University and Yuya Akamatsu of Research Institute for […]

Captured by the HiRISE camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on March 4, 2021, this impact crater was found in Cerberus Fossae, a seismically active region of the Red Planet. Scientists matched its appearance on the surface with a quake detected by NASA’s InSight lander. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Astrogeology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Impact events, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release

InSight Finds Marsquakes From Meteoroids Go Deeper Than Expected

by Keith CowingFebruary 5, 2025February 5, 2025

With help from AI, scientists discovered a fresh crater made by an impact that shook material as deep as the Red Planet’s mantle.

Seen at the center of this image, NASA’s retired InSight Mars lander was captured by the agency’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter using its High-Resolution Imagine Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on Oct. 23, 2024. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona Larger image

Astrogeology, Desert Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs

Desert Planet Orbital Recon: MRO Images Mars InSight Lander to Study Dust Movement

by Keith CowingDecember 16, 2024August 23, 2025

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) caught a glimpse of the agency’s retired InSight lander recently, documenting the accumulation of dust on the spacecraft’s solar panels. In the new image taken […]

Mars' interior

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Habitable Zones, Mars, Press Release

A Molten Layer Covers Mars’ Core

by Keith CowingOctober 27, 2023October 27, 2023

NASA’s InSight mission to Mars helped scientists map out Mars’ internal structure, including the size and composition of its core, and provided general hints about its tumultuous formation.