NASA’s Curiosity Rover has detected an organic molecule in Mars’ Gale Crater that is typically associated with fossil fuels and fungi on Earth, another potential sign that life once existed—or continues to exist—somewhere on or in the Red Planet. Additionally, the agency’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter returned a picture of an unusual hole in theread more
After more than a decade of research, scientists have discovered what may be the first known complete protein molecule in a meteorite, the first discovery of its kind confirmed to be from an extraterrestrial source. Although simpler amino acid molecules, such as glycine, have been found in meteorites before, compoundsread more
Having been on earth for about as long as animals, plants have evolved numerous senses similar to our own that allow them to perceive their environment and react accordingly: plants sense light to better gather energy from the Sun, pick up on the sound of a buzzing insect, and evenread more
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Mars Express orbiter has uncovered signs that Mars once had a vast network of waterways, including a planet-spanning ocean in its northern hemisphere, and an extensive network of rivers that carved majestic canyons through the ancient Martian landscape. Using its Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurfaceread more