Archives for the 'Mars' Category
2007 Martian Dust Storm Strengthens
Published on 20 Jul 2007 at 3:28 pm.
2 Comments.
Filed under Mars.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a global dust storm on Mars that was of concern to the scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Well, the dust storm just keeps getting stronger.
The image here shows the worsening skies as seen from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, located at Meridiani Planum. […]
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The Dust Storm and the Rovers
Published on 5 Jul 2007 at 6:59 pm.
6 Comments.
Filed under Mars.
Mars is currently experiencing dust storms. Now, that is nothing really unusual for Mars. It has a lot of dust storms, and many of those storms are huge. In fact, Martian dust storms can sometimes get so active that they cover then entire planet from pole to pole. (Actually, in that case, it is usually […]
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Mars Mission: The Human Factor
Published on 22 Jun 2007 at 12:29 pm.
11 Comments.
Filed under Mars, space exploration.
About three weeks ago, I posted about Bob Zubrin’s Mars Direct mission plans. He insists that the technology to go to Mars is either already here, or just about to be developed. However, one of the chief arguments against his Mars Direct mission is the human factor. Mars is a long way […]
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Going straight to Mars?
Published on 29 May 2007 at 3:34 pm.
16 Comments.
Filed under Mars, conference blogging, space exploration.
Dr. Robert Zubrin was at the conference this weekend. For those of you who don’t know him, he is an aerospace engineer who has been a driving force behind a movement promoting a direct Mars mission. By a direct Mars mission, I mean that he proposes that we set a goal to go to Mars […]
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Danger, Will Robinson!
Published on 12 May 2007 at 6:15 pm.
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Filed under Mars, science fiction, space exploration.
In September, 1965, CBS launched the TV show Lost in Space. The premise of the show was that an interstellar space mission to the star Alpha Centauri was to be crewed primarily by a family. Professor John Robinson, an astrophysicist, was the expedition’s leader. He was accompanied by his wife, biochemist Dr. […]
Mars spots
Published on 2 Apr 2007 at 1:54 pm.
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Filed under Mars.
Mars has spots. The particular spots I want to talk about, though, occur each Martian year at the south polar ice cap. The spots have long been a mystery, but Phil Christensen (Arizona State University) published a model last year that seems to explain the spots.
This south polar ice cap contains a lot […]
Mars isn’t the only planet with dust storms!
Published on 28 Feb 2007 at 1:45 pm.
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Filed under Earth, Mars, space exploration.
Saturday, I was at a convention in Dallas. That afternoon, I came out of a session and looked out the window. During the day, the wind had been increasing. Well, by the afternoon, there were whitecaps in the hotel swimming pool! But, more disturbing was the fact that the Sun was […]
