kosmos: Life on Mars

Evidence: 45 • authority: 72

The possibility of life on Mars is a subject of interest in astrobiology due to the planet's proximity and similarities to Earth. To date, no conclusive evidence of past or present life has been found on Mars. Cumulative evidence suggests that during the ancient Noachian time period, the surface environment of Mars had liquid water and may have been habitable for microorganisms, but habitable conditions do not necessarily indicate life. Scientific investigations for potential life on Mars began in the 19th century and continue today with telescopes and robotic probes searching for water, chemical biosignatures in the soil and rocks at the planet's surface, and biomarker gases in the atmosph…

Evidence: 59 • authority: 72

Although very small amounts of liquid water may occur transiently on the surface of Mars, limited to traces of dissolved moisture from the atmosphere and thin films, large quantities of ice are present on and under the surface. Small amounts of water vapor are present in the atmosphere, and liquid water may be present under the surface. In addition, a large quantity of liquid water was likely present on the surface in the distant past. Currently, ice is mostly present in polar permafrost. More than 5 million km3 of ice have been detected at or near the surface of Mars, enough to cover the planet to a depth of 35 meters (115 ft). Even more ice might be locked away in the deep subsurface. The…

Evidence: 59 • authority: 92

Evidence: 45 • authority: 92

Evidence: 41 • authority: 72

The gravity of Mars is a natural phenomenon, due to the law of gravity, or gravitation, by which all things with mass around the planet Mars are brought towards it. It is weaker than Earth's gravity due to the planet's smaller mass. The average gravitational acceleration on Mars is 3.721 m/s2 (about 38% of the gravity of Earth), with a global variation range of ~0.059 m/s2. In general, topography-controlled isostasy drives the short wavelength free-air gravity anomalies. At the same time, convective flow and finite strength of the mantle lead to long-wavelength planetary-scale free-air gravity anomalies over the entire planet. Variation in crustal thickness, magmatic and volcanic activities…

Evidence: 41 • authority: 88

Evidence: 41 • authority: 88

Evidence: 41 • authority: 80

Evidence: 41 • authority: 92

Evidence: 41 • authority: 80

Evidence: 41 • authority: 72

Mars 2020 is a NASA mission that includes the rover Perseverance, the now-grounded small robotic helicopter Ingenuity, and associated delivery systems, as part of the Mars Exploration Program. Mars 2020 was launched on an Atlas V rocket at 11:50:01 UTC on July 30, 2020, and landed in the Martian crater Jezero on February 18, 2021, with confirmation received at 20:55 UTC. On March 5, 2021, NASA named the landing site Octavia E. Butler Landing. As of 18 October 2026, Perseverance has been on Mars for 2013 sols (2068 total days; 5 years, 242 days). Ingenuity operated on Mars for 1042 sols (1071 total days; 2 years, 341 days) before sustaining serious damage to its rotor blades, possibly all fo…

Evidence: 41 • authority: 72

The climate of Mars has been a topic of scientific curiosity for centuries, in part because it is the only terrestrial planet whose surface can be easily observed in detail from Earth using a telescope. Although Mars is smaller than Earth, with only one-tenth of Earth's mass, and is 50% farther from the Sun than Earth, its climate has important similarities with Earth's, such as the presence of polar ice caps, seasonal changes, and observable weather patterns. It has attracted sustained study from planetologists and climatologists. While Mars' climate has similarities to Earth's, including periodic ice ages, there are also important differences, such as much lower thermal inertia. Mars' atm…