NASA-funded research on Mars meteorites that landed on Earth shows strong evidence that very large molecules containing carbon, which is a key ingredient for the building blocks of life, can […]
Mars
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Dale Andersen's Field Reports, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Astrobiologist Dale Andersen’s Field Reports: Lake Untersee, Antarctica (Gigapixel Panorama) 7 March 2012
Three and a half billion years ago our planet was quite different and Earth’s earliest biosphere was dominated by microbial communities – complex multicellular organisms were not to evolve for […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Taking The Temperature Of Mars’ Past
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have directly determined the surface temperature of early Mars for the first time, providing evidence that’s consistent with a warmer and wetter […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Microbiology & Virology, People Of Astrobiology, Status Report
ALH84001: The Key to Unlocking Secrets About Mars-15 Years and Counting
From the December 27, 1984 discovery of ALH84001, and its subsequent identification as a sample of Mars in 1993, mystery and debate has surrounded the meteorite [1].
Posted inAstrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Rock of Ages – A Younger ALH84001
NAI scientists from the University of Wisconsin Team and their colleagues have shown that the true age of this famous meteorite is 4.091 billion years, about 400 million years younger […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Dale Andersen's Field Reports, Icy Worlds, Status Report
McGill High Arctic Research Station Photo Report – Dale Andersen: 8 April 2009 Colour Peak Springs
There are several regions on Earth where mean annual temperatures are well below freezing and yet liquid water persists. Such polar regions provide excellent analogs to study the hydrological cycle […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Panspermia, Press Release
NASA Identifies Carbon-rich Molecules in Meteors as the “Origin of Life”
Tons, perhaps tens of tons, of carbon molecules in dust particles and meteorites fall on Earth daily. Meteorites are especially valuable to astronomers because they provide relatively big chunks of […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Book, Film, Video Reviews
Exploration, Science, and Art: A Book Review of Terra Antarctica and Driving to Mars
When it comes to exploration, there’s nothing like being there. Yet at some point, all explorers need to tell others what they have seen – as well as find a […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs
Possible Meteorites in the Martian Hills
From its winter outpost at “Low Ridge” inside Gusev Crater, NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this spectacular, color mosaic of hilly, sandy terrain and two potential iron meteorites. The […]