Mars

NASA’s revelation that liquid water exists on the surface of Mars was “manna from the heavens” for 20th Century Fox’s new sci-fi film “The Martian”, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Cynics quickly pounced on the coincidence.

Briny water flows during the summer months on Mars, raising the possibility that the planet long thought to be arid could support life today, scientists analyzing data from a NASA spacecraft said Sept. 28.

New findings from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) provide the strongest evidence yet that liquid water is flowing intermittently on Mars, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) revealed on Monday.

Here’s the NASA announcement of of its ground-breaking discovery:

“A primitive ocean on Mars held more water than Earth’s Arctic Ocean, according to NASA scientists who, using ground-based observatories, measured water signatures in the Red Planet’s atmosphere.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, a former space shuttle commander, said that the dream of sending a manned mission to planet Mars is closer to reality than ever before.

The presence or lack thereof, of water on Mars has been a point of contention and much debate and trepidation of scientists for decades. However, NASA’s Mars Rover has now discovered martial soil which shows that water must have existed on the red planet relatively “recently”, as in… in the past million years, give or take.

Geological feature or an … alien-made structure on the surface of Mars?
Internet chatter was abuzz on Tuesday after photographs taken by NASA’s Curiosity Rover apparently showed what appears to be a pyramid-shaped object on the “Red Planet”.
The pic was taken on May 7 (in earth’s calendar).

A trip to Mars may appear futuristic and distant but may become reality at some point. NASA’s latest plans show it’s not an utopic sci-fi notion. However, French photographer Julian Mauve, with his own project “Greetings From Mars” brings us one step closer to such a trip.

Curiosity Mars rover is currently exploring Gale crater on Mars, since 2012. The NASA space vehicle recently sent over some amazingly beautiful pictures of a “blue sunset” from the planet.

The photos were received on the 15th of April and depict the sun being lost over the horizon of the red planet.

I really liked the furious debate that broke out recently among astronomers about whether we should send out signals to the universe saying "we're here."

It implicitly assumes that somehow, if your science is really advanced, then interstellar travel is possible.