Was There Ever Life on Mars?
We don’t know . . . yet. That’s because we are just beginning to look, and here’s what we know so far. The Spirit and Opportunity rovers confirmed what had been suspected for decades, that Mars was once warmer and wetter, with long-lasting bodies of water on its surface. The Curiosity rover discovered that organic compounds necessary for life as we know it are present in Martian rocks. The ingredients were there, but this habitable environment ended around 3 billion years ago. At that time, all life on Earth was single-celled bacteria, and it would be another 2.5 billion years before multi-cellular life arose. So, we don’t expect to find fossils of things like plants and animals. Instead, we’re looking for ways in which ancient bacteria changed the chemistry and structure of rocks. The Perseverance rover is currently finding rocks that could contain this evidence and collecting samples of them for return to Earth in the next decade. Read More
Latest News About Mars
Was the Red Planet once blue?
January 19, 2026
New evidence points to an ancient ocean on Mars. Read more
Without Mars, humans and animals could look entirely different.
January 13, 2026
Scientist says the Red Planet shapes our Ice Ages. Read more
What time is it on Mars? NIST physicists have the answer.
December 1, 2025
This calculation is necessary for future space navigation and communication networks. Read more
Odd-looking rock on Mars is totally alien to the Red Planet, Perseverance rover finds
November 23, 2025
Dubbed "Phippsaksla," it is unlike anything else the robot has found on the Red Planet. Read more
Deep 'scratches' and craters on Mars tell the tale of a Red Planet ice age
November 14, 2025
Mid-latitude valleys and crater floors on the Red Planet reveal swirling deposits from ancient glacial flows. Read more
Mars orbiter spies 'barcode' aftermath of rare Red Planet avalanche by meteoroid impact
November 11, 2025
"These observations could lead to a better understanding of what happens on Mars today." Read more
Volcanic explosions on Mars may have left massive ice deposits at the Red Planet's equator
October 22, 2025
"Explosive volcanism could repeatedly seed low latitudes with ice and ash, explaining the excess hydrogen signals measured near the equator." Read more
If life on Mars exists, it may be preserved in a frozen time capsule
October 17, 2025
Biomolecules trapped in pure ice could withstand the harsh radiation of Mars for tens of millions of years. Read more
Dry ice may burrow through Mars like sandworms in 'Dune'
October 16, 2025
"The CO2 ice block began to dig into the slope and move downwards just like a burrowing mole or the sandworms from 'Dune.'" Read more
Rampaging Jupiter and Saturn had a strange effect on Mars in our early Solar System
October 16, 2025
The movement of planets in the early Solar System could have starved infant Mars of its water. Read more
Martian volcanoes may have transported ice to the planet's equator
October 14, 2025
The equatorial regions of Mars are home to unexpectedly enormous layers of ice, and they may have been put there by dramatic volcanic eruptions billions of years ago Read more
Geological evidence points to ancient ocean in Mars' northern hemisphere
September 30, 2025
Most scientists agree the red planet had rivers. But did those rivers flow into an ocean? Read more
ESA spacecraft sees a kaleidoscope of color in Mars' atmosphere
September 26, 2025
This delicately layered atmosphere is considered a "mille-feuille" by experts at the European Space Agency. Read more
Mars's chilly north polar vortex may create a seasonal ozone layer
September 17, 2025
"This is a fascinating opportunity to learn more about Martian atmospheric chemistry" Read more
Mars once had an atmosphere that was thicker than Earth's today
September 15, 2025
The now wispy remnant of an atmosphere may once been one hundreds of times thicker with a pressure three times that on Earth Read more
BREAKING NEWS: NASA says Mars rover discovered potential biosignature last year
September 10, 2025
A sample from the Jezero Crater could preserve evidence of ancient microbial life Read more
One extremophile eats Martian dirt, survives in space and can create oxygen for colonies
September 9, 2025
Astrobiologists look into chroococcidiopsis as a tool for future space missions Read more
Huge chunks of ancient cosmic objects may be stuck inside Mars
September 4, 2025
Forget neat, smooth layers — Mars' interior is a chunky mix. Read more
Good news for Mars settlers? Red Planet glaciers are mostly pure water ice, study suggests
July 30, 2025
"They could be a resource in the future if humanity tried to access them." Read more
Life could survive beneath the surface of Mars and other planets using high energy particles from space
July 28, 2025
Cosmic rays could be the key to underground life Read more
Ancient river systems reveal Mars was wetter than we thought
July 10, 2025
New discoveries show more than 15,000 kilometres of ancient riverbeds Read more
Why is there no life on Mars? Rover finds a clue
July 5, 2025
New research suggests Mars was doomed to msotly be a desert planet Read more
Mars may once have had rings, which could help explain where its largest moon came from
June 6, 2025
The question of Phobos and Deimos' origins may finally have an answer Read more
Slope streaks on Mars are dry, new study suggests
May 26, 2025
Slope streaks may be shaped by wind and dust, not liquid Read more
Perseverance takes the first picture of a visible Martian aurora
May 14, 2025
Future astronauts will be able to observe the ethereal lights with their own eyes Read more
NASA rover discovers out-of-place 'Skull' on Mars
April 22, 2025
Scientists are investigating the origins of unusual "float" rocks rimming Jezero Crater Read more
NASA's Curiosity rover finds major clue that Mars was once habitable
April 21, 2025
Iron-rich carbonates on Mars offer new clues about the planet's ancient climate and potential habitability Read more
Life on Mars could survive — if you're one of these hybrid lifeforms
April 20, 2025
Researchers bombarded lichens with a year's worth of Martian radiation in just 5 hours — and they survived Read more
NASA’s Curiosity Rover detects largest organic molecules found on Mars
March 24, 2025
Prebiotic chemistry may have advanced further than previously observed Read more
Most quakes on Mars happen during the summer – and we don’t know why
March 17, 2025
Mars is more seismically active than we first thought, especially during Martian summers Read more
Fascinating Facts About Mars
- If the sun were as tall as a typical front door, Earth would be the size of a nickel, and Mars would be the size of an aspirin tablet.
- From Mars’ surface, the Sun appears about two-thirds as large as it does from Earth and sunlight appears about 2 times dimmer.
- Mars has gullies characterized by an alcove at the top, a channel, and an apron of deposited material at the bottom. At first, gullies were thought to be a result of flowing water, but recent studies have shown that this is likely not true. Researchers are further studying how these gullies might have formed. Mars also has Lobate Debris Aprons (LDAs); these are now stationary glacial flows composed almost entirely of water ice and covered in a layer of debris. Although the age and origins of LDAs are a mystery, they are likely remnants of a previous ice age on Mars.
- Mars is known as the Red Planet because iron minerals in the Martian soil oxidize, or rust, causing the soil, and the dusty atmosphere, to look red.
- Mars is the only planet other than Earth that has polar ice caps.
- The tallest mountain in the solar system, Olympus Mons, is on Mars; and the longest and deepest canyon in the solar system, Valles Marineris, is also on Mars.
- Mars is the only planet with observed dry ice (carbon dioxide) snowfall.
Missions
InSight (2018)
Mission to study crust, mantle and core of Mars
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (2016)
ESA/Roscosmos mission to better understand methane and other trace atmospheric gases
MAVEN (2013)
Mission to study upper atmosphere and ionosphere
Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission) (2013)
ISRO mission to explore Mars surface features, morphology, mineralogy and atmosphere
Curiosity (2011)
Mission to determine if Mars is able to support microbial life
Phoenix (2007)
Mission to study history of water in the Martian arctic and search for evidence of a habitable zone
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2005)
Mission to search for evidence that water persisted on the surface for long period of time
Spirit & Opportunity (2003)
Mission to study history of water on Mars
Mars Express (2003)
ESA mission to study atmosphere, climate, planet structure, mineralogy and geology and search for traces of water
Mars Odyssey (2001)
Mission to study radiation environment and detect water and shallow buried ice
Mars Pathfinder (1996)
Mission to deliver lander and rover to Mars surface
Mars Global Surveyor (1996)
Mission to study composition and topography and monitor weather patterns
Phobos 2 (1988)
Soviet Union mission to study surface and atmosphere of Mars and surface composition of Martian moon Phobos
Viking 1 & 2 (1975)
Mission to collect data about the surface and atmosphere and search for signs of life
Mariner 9 (1971)
Mission to map Mars' surface
Mars 2 & 3 (1971)
Soviet Union orbiter and lander
Mariner 6 & 7 (1969)
Flyby to study surface for signs of life
Mariner 4 (1964)
First Mars flyby