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NEWS ABOUT: Curiosity

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Colbert: NASA's Penis Doodle Proves Our Cosmic Might

He discusses NASA's latest 'feat'

(Newser) - The United States has its problems, but Stephen Colbert thinks that NASA's latest feat clearly shows America's cosmic might—that feat being an image of a penis left on Mars. The Internet erupted after a photo of the seemingly phallic track patterns the Curiosity rover left in the... More »

Mars Missions Slow in April, Thanks to Sun's Position

Interference means rovers pretty much get the month off

(AP) - It's the Martian version of spring break: Curiosity and Opportunity , along with their spacecraft friends circling overhead, will take it easy this month because of the sun's interference. For much of April, the sun blocks the line of sight between Earth and Mars. This celestial alignment—called a... More »

NASA: Yep, Mars Could Have Supported Life

Soil sample dug up by Curiosity proves it

(Newser) - NASA scientists examining their first sample of Martian rock dug out by the rover Curiosity found some remarkable things in there: sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and carbon. In other words, ingredients that show the planet once could have supported life. Lead scientist Michael Mayer sums it up thusly:
  • "
... More »

Latest Search for Alien Life Taking Place on Earth

NASA turns to geologists for help

(Newser) - NASA's latest partner in the search for alien life: a group of about 50 geologists who are hunting for evidence of ancient life here on Earth. The University of Wisconsin's Astrobiology Research Consortium last month started a five-year, $7 million project funded by a NASA grant. It'll... More »

Mars Rover Drills Into Planet for First Time

Curiosity's successful test paves way for bigger projects

(Newser) - NASA's Mars rover has busted out a new tool to pry into the planet's secrets. Curiosity used a drill at the top of one of its arms to make a small hole in Martian rock, reports LiveScience . It was just a test, the first of its kind, but... More »

Curiosity Rover Snaps Pic of 'Martian Flower'?

NASA Rep says it 'appears to be part of the rock'

(Newser) - So, can flowers grow at -65 Fahrenheit? That was apparently the belief of one website reader after the Curiosity rover sent back a photo of a hard-to-identify, light-colored object on Mars, Space.com reports. Noting its reflection of sunlight, "translucent appearance," and "irregular confirmation (like pistils),"... More »

NASA: We're Sending a New Rover to Mars

Modeled after Curiosity, it should launch in 2020

(AP) - NASA is headed to Mars—again. The space agency said today it plans to launch another mega-rover to Mars in 2020 that will be modeled after the wildly popular Curiosity. To keep costs down, engineers will borrow Curiosity's blueprints, build from spare parts where possible, and use proven technology... More »

Rover's Mars Find: Carbon or Contamination?

Nothing definitive yet, scientists say

(Newser) - Don't get too excited about life on Mars just yet: Though NASA's Curiosity rover did find a simple carbon compound on the planet, the team has yet to determine whether the compound actually came from Mars or was transported there on Curiosity itself. And the scoop of soil... More »

Mars Scoop May Not Be So 'Earth-Shaking' After All

But it will be 'interesting,' spokesman promises

(Newser) - An NPR story about NASA's Mars mission generated lots of attention today because of a big tease from a lead scientist looking at soil samples taken by the Curiosity rover:
  • "This data is gonna be one for the history books. It's looking really good."
But NASA'... More »

Mars Radiation? Astronauts Could Handle It

Curiosity rover shows Mars radiation near space station levels

(Newser) - One of the bigger sticking points in the quest to send humans to Mars has been the potentially deadly radiation levels they would experience. But new information gathered by the Curiosity rover shows that radiation levels on Mars are much milder than feared—about the same as those in low... More »

Martian Soil Is a Lot Like ... Hawaii's?

Curiosity scans soil sample

(Newser) - Aloha, Mars! The Curiosity rover has scanned a sample of Martian soil, and the ground composition on the Red Planet isn't all that unlike Hawaii's, reports the BBC . It's not a huge surprise to NASA scientists, who theorized that the soil would be comprised of "materials... More »

Rover's Latest Find: Rock Type Not Seen Before on Mars

Although it's not that unusual on Earth

(Newser) - Curiosity has identified a type of rock that no rover had previously spotted on Mars. It has the same chemical composition as rocks relatively common on Earth, found in rift zones like Hawaii's volcanoes, Wired reports. They develop in high-pressure conditions, often near water, though it's unclear if... More »

Mars Rover Finds 'Bright Object'

Curiosity makes first scoop of planet's surface

(Newser) - The Curiosity rover has conducted its first scoop of Mars' surface—and found an unidentified "bright object," the AP reports. The rover won't make another scoop until NASA officials can deduce what the thing is. It could just be a piece of the rover itself. Curiosity has... More »

Mars Rover Checks In on Foursquare

'Curiosity' hopes to be the planet's mayor soon

(Newser) - Well, now NASA's rover on Mars is just showing off. Curiosity checked in on Foursquare today from the red planet, reports TechCrunch . "One check-in closer to being Mayor of Mars," reads the post from Gale Crater . The rover already is offering tips (bring moisturizer and oxygen), and... More »

Curiosity Makes Weird Weather Find on Red Planet

Warm days could point to possibility of life there

(Newser) - The Mars rover Curiosity has enjoyed surprisingly warm weather lately, a find that could arouse more speculation about the possibility of life on the Red Planet, Space.com reports. In this case, warm means up to 43 Fahrenheit—which is unexpected because it's still winter at the Gale Center,... More »

Mars Rover Finds Signs of Ancient Streambed

Hip-deep water, habitable for life, may have flown across the planet

(Newser) - One of the Mars Rover's main goals on its current mission was to find a site on the planet that could have supported life. Ding, ding, ding. NASA says the rover Curiosity actually landed on what looks to be an ancient streambed, reports the Washington Post . Rounded pebbles and... More »

This Eclipse Is From Mars

Curiosity Rover keeps clicking away

(Newser) - NASA's Mars Rover has been busy snapping photos of partial eclipses of the sun. The phenomenon isn't all that unusual on the planet, explains AP , but because Curiosity just happened to be in the neighborhood, it couldn't resist. The images should help scientists get a better sense... More »

Curiosity Snaps Mars Solar Eclipse

Partial eclipse was brief, tiny

(Newser) - The latest celestial images from Curiosity, NASA's Mars rover, show a partial solar eclipse as Martian moon Phobos crosses the sun. The eclipse isn't quite as impressive as one on Earth would be, Space.com explains, because Phobos is just 14 miles across, so it only covers a... More »

Why Colonizing This Planet Is No Picnic

Mars is freezing, highly irradiated, and far away

(Newser) - NASA hopes Curiosity will do more than fire lasers and dig up water while visiting Mars. The trip is also a precursor to colonizing the Red Planet, even though such a mission would be expensive, dangerous, and lonely for astronauts who take the journey of at least 33 million miles,... More »

Curiosity's Tracks Seen From Space

Rover takes first sniff of Martian air

(Newser) - After a month on Mars, the Curiosity rover is still going through checks, and racking up near-perfect scores. It has driven more than 350 feet from its landing site, leaving tracks that have been photographed from space by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, reports CBS . Curiosity "continues to surprise us... More »

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