Major Space Weather Event on Mars

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 4, 2017: http://spaceweather.com

MAJOR SPACE WEATHER EVENT ON MARS: Last month, a human astronaut standing on the surface of Mars could have seen something amazing. The night sky of the Red Planet turned green in a global display of Northern Lights. Unfortunately, the same astronaut would have been irradiated by high energy particles from the sun. For three days in mid-September a solar storm enveloped Mars, crossing thresholds of ground-level radiation and auroras that orbiters and rovers had never seen before. Such global events on Mars may be more common than previously thought--a topic explored on today's edition of  Spaceweather.com.

Above: This artist's concept shows a solar coronal mass ejection (CME) bearing down on NASA's MAVEN spacecraft in orbit around Mars

First Light for MAVEN

Source - NASA Science News for October 10, 2014

NASA's MAVEN spacecraft has reached Mars and it is beaming back "First Light" images of the Red Planet's upper atmosphere. The data could help researchers understand what transformed Mars from a hospitable planet billions of years ago into a desiccated wasteland today.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/10oct_firstlight/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_ez2G5Efus&feature=youtu.be



License: Standard YouTube License

NASA's MAVEN Spacecraft Reaches Mars

Source - NASA Science News for September 22, 2014

On Sunday, Sept. 21st, NASA's MAVEN spacecraft successfully entered Mars orbit where it now will prepare to study the Red Planet's upper atmosphere as never done before.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/22sep_maven/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R4yj7DtQbM&feature=youtu.be



License: Standard YouTube License

What Happened to Mars? A Planetary Mystery

Source - NASA Science News for Nov. 12, 2013:

Mars was once on track to become a thriving Earth-like planet, yet today it is an apparently lifeless wasteland. A NASA spacecraft named MAVEN will soon journey to Mars to find out what went wrong on the Red Planet.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/12nov_maven/


A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etL2ZhqGNCs




License: Standard YouTube License

A Tale of Planetary Woe

Source - NASA Science News for November 6, 2009

Long ago, something calamitous happened to Mars, transforming a warm and hospitable world into the frigid, seemingly lifeless desert we see today. Many scientists believe the Red Planet lost most of its atmosphere, but how? A new NASA mission named MAVEN is specifically designed to answer that question.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/06nov_maven.htm?list894285