A new Mars Express view of Kaiser Crater makes dark, frost-covered dunes look like polished metal. The illusion is striking, but the landscape also preserves clues to Martian winds, ancient water and a planet’s long geological memory.
A proposed breakup of the Eulalia parent asteroid about 800 million years ago may help explain a spike in lunar impacts. The evidence is strongest on the Moon, while possible links to changes on Earth, Mars and Venus remain hypotheses that need much more testing.
NASA has shared new testing footage of Ernest, a prototype rover built to handle steep terrain, lift its wheels over obstacles, and move faster than current Mars rovers.
A recent study suggests a moon-sized impactor altered Venus’ rotation over 4.5 billion years ago, potentially explaining its unique rotational characteristics.