Are subterranean lifeforms viable on Mars? A new interpretation of Martian seismic data by scientists Ikuo Katayama of Hiroshima University and Yuya Akamatsu of Research Institute for Marine Geodynamics suggests the presence of water below the surface of Mars. “If liquid water exists on Mars,” Katayama says, “the presence of microbial activity” is possible.

The Science White Paper of the Einstein Probe (EP) mission, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and jointly developed with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), and the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), has been published online in the Science China: Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy. EP is an interdisciplinary mission focused on time-domain and X-ray astronomy. It aims to explore transient X-ray sources and explosive phenomena in the universe using its advanced observational instruments. The mission seeks to expand the frontiers of astronomical research by providing new insights into these dynamic cosmic events.

Mars expert Roger Wiens and his team, including the rover Perseverance, discovered fascinating rocks incorporating kaolinite and spinel on Mars’ surface that form in warm, wet environments — but the origin of the rocks remains a mystery.

A new study by researchers including those at the University of Tokyo revealed that atmospheric gravity waves play a crucial role in driving latitudinal air currents on Mars, particularly at high altitudes. The findings, based on long-term atmospheric data, offer a fresh perspective on the behaviors of Mars' middle atmosphere, highlighting fundamental differences from Earth’s. The study applied methods developed to explore Earth’s atmosphere to quantitatively estimate the influence of gravity waves on Mars’ planetary circulation.