SPirit Archives - Astrobiology

Baade/MagE spectrum of TOI-2407 compared to the M2 SDSS template from Bochanski et al. (2007, magenta line). Data are normalized at 7400 Å, and key spectral features across the 4300–8100 Å region are labelled, including the location of uncorrected telluric oxygen and water bands (⊕). The inset box show the 6555–6585 Å region with H𝛼 and Ca I absorption features labelled. -- astro-ph.EP

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

TOI-2407 b: A Warm Neptune In The Desert

by Keith CowingJune 10, 2025June 10, 2025

We present the validation of TOI-2407 b, a warm Neptune-sized planet with a radius of 4.26 ± 0.26 R⊕, orbiting an early M-type star with a period of 2.7 days […]

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 Droid Evolution -- NASA

Exploration Gear & Tech, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors, Video, Audio, Webcasts, Podcasts

Mars Droid Evolution (Video)

by Keith CowingDecember 3, 2024December 3, 2024

Since landing its first rover on Mars in 1997, NASA has pushed the boundaries of exploration with increasingly larger and more sophisticated robotic explorers.

The two light-colored, smooth rocks about two-thirds of the way up from the bottom of the frame have been labeled “Zhong Shan” and “Allan Hills.” Larger image

Astrogeology, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs

Possible Meteorites in the Martian Hills

by Keith CowingJuly 13, 2006April 14, 2024

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 […]