Rare High-Altitude Clouds Found on Mars

The Mars Express spacecraft has discovered high-altitude clouds (ranging from about 80-100 kilometres) above Mars' surface for the first time.

Pluto Now Officially No Longer a Planet

After years of contentious debate, Pluto has now been demoted, and is no longer a planet by definition, according to the results from a meeting of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in Prague.

More information:

www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060824_planet_definition.html
skytonight.com/news/3728231.html
www.spacetoday.net/Summary/3468

Layered Sediments in Schiaparelli

© NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Extensive layered sediments, which may have been formed in an ancient crater lake.

Approaching Victoria Crater

© NASA/JPL

The Opportunity rover is now making its final approach to the large (approximately 750 metre diameter) Victoria crater, travelling across the relatively flat annulus (debris apron). Part of Victoria's rim can be seen in the distance in the above image.

Latest traverse map, up to sol 914 (August 19).

'Alien Rain' Update

© Cardiff University

Scientists at Cardiff University in the UK are still trying to determine if the unusual red cells contain DNA or not, and the nature of the thick cell walls and red colouring.

Also, why did the red rain happen again over Kerala, India in July, 2006, almost five years to the day of the first episode?

Diverging Slope Streaks

© NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Another good example of "slope streaks" on Mars, in the Phlegra Dorsa region. In this case, a dark streak has sharply split and diverted around the base of a small hill. There is still debate as to whether such streaks are the result of dry avalanches or perhaps water seeping up from underground.

Carbon Dioxide Gas Jets May Erupt From Martian South Polar Ice Cap

© Ron Miller/Arizona State University

New observations by the Mars Odyssey orbiter suggest that large jets of carbon dioxide gas erupt from the south polar ice cap every spring. They may also help explain the puzzling dark "spots, fans and spiders" markings on the ice cap.

Sort of like the CO2 equivalent of the water vapour geysers of Enceladus?

More information:

www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060816_mars_icecaps.html
www.asu.edu/news/stories/200608/20060818_marsplumes.htm
www.nature.com/nature/journal/v442/n7104/edsumm/e060817-08.html
themis.asu.edu/news-polarjets
www.asu.edu/news/stories/200608/20060818_marsplumes.htm

Solar System May Now Have 12 Planets... and Even More

© IAU/Martin Kornmesser

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has proposed a long-awaited reclassification of the planets in our solar system. The proposal will be voted on by astronomers at an IAU meeting later this month in Prague. After much controversy, Pluto would be retained as a "pluton," a smaller, farther-out planetary body. Pluto's moon Charon would also be classified as a pluton (Pluto and Charon being considered a double-planet system rather than a typical planet-moon system for rather technical reasons), as well as 2003 UB313 (also known for the time being as Xena). The largest asteroid Ceres, between Mars and Jupiter, would now be considered a "classical" planet, like the other major plaetary bodies.

Other larger bodies in the far outer solar system may also be added to the new planets list, after more is accurately known about their sizes.

More information:

space.com/scienceastronomy/060816_planet_definition.html
news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/060816-pluto-planet.html
www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn9761
www.planetary.org/news/2006/0816_The_IAU_Redefines_Planet__Pluto_is_a.html
www.spacedaily.com/reports/The_IAU_Draft_Definition_Of_Planets_And_Plutons_999.html

More Organic Molecules Found in Deep Space

A two-year survey of interstellar dust clouds has revealed eight new organic molecules, more evidence that the biologically-relevant molecules from which life is made are abundant throughout the universe.

Ten-Year Old Evidence of Possible Ancient Martian Life Still Being Debated

Ten years after the announcement by NASA that the martian meteorite ALH84001 contained evidence for possible fossils of ancient Martian bacteria, the findings are still being fiercely debated...

Titan's Methane Rain

© Mark A. Garlick

A nice illustration from the Astronomy Picture of the Day web site (August 2, 2006), depicting how Titan's methane rain might look as viewed from the surface.

Unusual 'Twin Planets' Found

Two new large "planemos" (planetary mass objects) have been found about 400 light years from our solar system. The smaller planemo is about 7 times the mass of Jupiter while the larger one is twice that mass, similar to numerous other extra-solar planets which have been found orbiting other stars. What makes these ones unusual is that they appear to be orbiting each other instead of a star.

More information:

www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-08/eso-tt073106.php

Beagle Crater

© NASA/JPL

Opportunity has now arrived at Beagle crater on Mars, a small crater at the edge of the ejecta blanket of the much larger Victoria crater, which the rover should reach sometime later in August. The sulfate bedrock around the rim is more jumbled and broken up inside Beagle than in other places examined so far.

Opportunity's latest traverse maps can be seen here.

Martian Dust Storms May Make Surface Sterile

New research suggests that electrified dust storms on Mars may create toxic and corrosive chemicals in the soil, which would make it very difficult for any life forms to survive on the surface. Some researchers though have previously noted that the subsurface may be a better place to search for life, especially if any underground water aquifers are ever found (which Mars Express and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter are now looking for).

More information:

physorg.com/news73579999.html
www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2006/mars_soil_chem.html
space.com/scienceastronomy/060731_mars_duststorms.html
www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2006/August/01080602.asp
www.umich.edu/news/index.html?Releases/2006/Jul06/r073106a
www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2006/07/31_peroxide.shtml
www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn9657-is-toxic-rain-killing-organic-molecules-on-mars.html
news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/060807-mars-snow.html