The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has just begun its science mission, and one of the first targets is Victoria Crater, where the rover Opportunity has just arrived after nearly 1000 sols on Mars.

The photos, using the largest interplanetary telescope ever lofted, are truly amazing.

See comments for links to original imagery. picked by Fanatic 2 years ago

A probable active glacier has been identified for the first time on Mars. The icy feature has been spotted in images from the European Space Agency's (Esa) Mars Express spacecraft. Ancient glaciers, many millions of years old, have been seen before on the Red Planet, but this one may only be several thousand years old. picked by AutumnLotus 10 months ago

"Another soil sample of the exact same composition as the last one..." "Still no water..." It's out of its mind with boredom. Another wonderful satirical story from The Onion. picked by Fanatic 2 years ago

The nights and early morning hours of November 17-19 mark the return of the Leonid meteor shower to the skies of Earth

Viewers along the northeastern coast of the United States and Canada, as well as people in Europe and western Africa might get to see an "outburst" of as many as 100-600 meteors per hour! picked by 2manyusernames 2 years ago

Days before its tenth anniversary in Mars orbit, the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft ran into problems. They got a weak signal three days later, and nothing since. Plans are to take a photograph of it with another Mars Orbiter today or tomorrow. picked by Fanatic 2 years ago

If skies are clear in your area on Sunday night, Dec. 23, you'll be able to partake in a rather unusual sight as the full moon appears to glide very closely above the planet Mars. Mars, which made its closest approach to the Earth on Dec. 18, will be only hours from a Christmas Eve opposition with the sun and is now shining prominently with a bright yellow-orange glow. picked by AutumnLotus 10 months ago

The most productive and longest-lived mission to Mars has likely ended, NASA says. For nearly ten years, the orbiter mapped the surface of Mars, and it played a big role in selecting the landing sites for the successful Mars Rover missions. A problem with a solar panel joint led to its demise. picked by Fanatic 2 years ago

Mars will be closer to Earth this month than any time until the year 2016. The red planet is now the brightest "star" in the evening sky and is already above the horizon as evening twilight fades away. But give it at least two more hours – until about 8 p.m. – for it to climb above the poor atmospheric seeing that's near the horizon. By then, this brilliant yellow-orange worl... read full post picked by AutumnLotus 10 months ago

Last night there was an intense solar flare. This might cause Auroral activity far more intense than normal and reaching far more south and north than usual.

But wait! That's not all. The 13/14th will also be the date the Geminid Meteor Shower will peak with a possibility of more than a 100 meteors per hour! picked by 2manyusernames 2 years ago

OK, everyone: get out your funky 3-D glasses for a whole new look at Mars! Now it's time to feast your eyes on Mars' arctic tundra as its never been seen before: in super frozen 3-D from the Phoenix lander! picked by cactushair 2 months ago

The radar system on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter has uncovered new details about some of the most mysterious deposits on Mars: the Medusae Fossae Formation. It has provided the first direct measurement of the depth and electrical properties of these materials, providing new clues about their origin. picked by AutumnLotus 11 months ago

A lake that might once have been habitable may have filled a crater for a long time on early Mars, new spacecraft images reveal. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured the images that suggest the debris-strewn Holden Crater once held a calm body of water that could have harbored life. picked by AutumnLotus 7 months ago

The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a great show this year, peaking in mid-August with a display of dozens of shooting stars each hour. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

Spirit and Opportunity, the NASA Mars Rovers, have discovered interesting features that suggest Mars could have supported life at one time, including 'rivers' of frozen carbon dioxide that flow uphill. picked by tundramonkey 10 months ago

Recently discovered caves on Mars were created in a short amount of time by violent meteorite impacts and volcanoes, say researchers. This makes them very different from caves on Earth, which are made from slow dripping processes. picked by AutumnLotus 11 months ago

The Spirit rover is celebrating its 1000th day on Mars--the original mission was planned for only 90 days--and the JPL mission team has released a 360-degree view of Spirit's wintering grounds, made from nearly 1500 individual images with no compression. It is the highest-resolution photograph of the surface ever taken. picked by Fanatic 2 years ago

NASA investigative panel determined the probable cause of the mysterious disappearance of the Mars Global Surveyor was battery failure. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

NASA has finally stated that the Mars Global Surveyor was dead due to a faulty solar panel. picked by groggie 2 years ago

During the three-and-a-half years that NASA has been on Mars, its rovers Spirit and Opportunity for the first time spotted a large-scale dust storm. The storm was so powerful that it has darkened the skies, putting NASA's rovers in danger they have never faced before. picked by maxriter 1 year ago

What it would be like to fly over Mars? Combining terrain data from the orbiting Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft with information about the robotic Spirit rover currently rolling across Mars has resulted in a digital movie that shows what a flight over the Columbia Hills might look like. picked by sandossu 5 months ago