Mars - Atlas Obscura
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The Milky Way rises above Pakistan's Karakoram Mountain Range.
meteorites

The 8 Best Astronomy Books For Beginners

From Mary Roach’s hilarious look at space travel to astronaut Scott Kelly’s photos documenting a year off planet.
Sarah Durn August 10, 2023
Dave Rowntree, the drummer of the band Blur, has been looking up at the night sky since he got his first telescope as a kid.
meteorites

How the Britpop Legends Blur Almost Launched the U.K. Space Program

What started as a late-night chat transformed into millions of dollars of funding for a Mars lander.
Dave Rowntree June 22, 2023
Dark dust devil trails crisscross frigid dunes and gullies in the southern highlands of Mars.
science

Massive Dust Devils Leave Their Mark Across Eerie Dunes

Often associated with Earth’s hottest places, these whirling columns show up on all seven continents—and beyond.
Gemma Tarlach November 5, 2021
Steam blowing off Iceland's Holuhraun lava field.
space exploration

In Iceland, Testing the Drones That Could Be the Future of Mars Exploration

“We’re going to do so many cool things.”
Robin George Andrews January 26, 2021
Turin, Italy

ROCC Mars Yard

Europe's simulation of the Martian surface uses soil from Mount Vesuvius.
A mockup of the ExoMars rover rolls off its landing platform at the Rover Operational Control Centre near Turin, Italy. The facility is designed to simulate what conditions will be like on Mars when the actual rover, named Rosalind Franklin, arrives in 2022.
science

Europe's New Mars Yard Is Like a Playground for Planetary Engineers

Thanks, in part, to 150 tons of soil belched out by Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago.
A. J. Oliveira July 8, 2020
As the mirabilite accumulates, it forms crystallized terraces on the lakefront.
nature

Utah's Great Salt Lake Could Hold Clues to Life on Mars

The mineral mirabilite is the key.
Isaac Schultz January 28, 2020
Dallol's colorful volcanic landscape.
space exploration

Ethiopia’s Strange Volcanic Landscapes Are Irresistible to Scientists (and Tourists)

Dallol can teach us a lot about Mars, and it needs to be protected.
Kelly Oakes June 18, 2019
Jezero Crater is the chosen landing site of the Mars 2020 mission.
space exploration

To Make a Field Guide to Life on Mars, First Head to the Deep Sea

Some scientists believe this is how we'll know what to look for.
Sabrina Imbler June 12, 2019
This panorama, captured in January 2017, looks out at higher reaches of Mount Sharp.
space exploration

Why Does This Picture From Mars Look Like a Riverbed on Earth?

A familiar sight, millions of miles away.
Jessica Leigh Hester March 29, 2019
InSight at work on the Martian surface.
nasa

What's the Weather Like on Mars?

A new NASA robot is braving extreme temperatures to learn about the Red Planet.
Matthew Taub February 20, 2019
The pickles in the jar represent the headlines we passed on, but still want to preserve.
islands

Headlines You Didn't See on Atlas Obscura in 2018

Spicier alternative titles for some of our stories.
Ella Morton December 28, 2018
The sign.
Glenelg, Scotland

Glenelg Welcome Sign

The sign announces the Scottish village's cosmic connections, as it's twinned with Glenelg, Mars.
Marconi was considered one of the founding fathers of radio—and was bullish about messages from Mars.
sounds

Everybody Shut Up! We're Listening to Mars

When the red planet comes close to Earth, some people have tried to tune in to see if it has anything to say.
Jessica Leigh Hester August 3, 2018
mars

Cool, There's Water on Mars. But Does It Make Good Pickles?

What would happen if briny Martian liquid met an Earthling cucumber?
Sarah Laskow August 1, 2018
Artistic impression of the Mars Express spacecraft probing Mars and of Planum Australe.
lakes

Found: Liquid Water on Mars

It's probably about five times as briny as the Dead Sea.
Sarah Laskow July 25, 2018
Ghost dunes at Noctis Labyrinthus. Boxes B and C show close-ups.
ancient

Found: Ancient 'Ghost Dunes' on Mars

There might be surprises inside.
Cara Giaimo July 11, 2018
How many craters and dark spots can you name?
astronomy

Who Keeps Track of All the Craters on the Moon?

For generations, women have been critical to bringing order to the chaos of the solar system.
Jessica Leigh Hester April 25, 2018