Mars rover captures first close-up images of ridges that hint at planet’s watery past in “really surprising” discovery

NASA’s Curiosity rover has captured the first close-up images of a part of Mars that scientists say provide evidence of how water once flowed on the red planet. There were once rivers, lakes and possibly an ocean on Mars, but they eventually dried up and the planet became the desert it is currently, according to…

Mars volcano twice as big as Earth’s tallest one seen poking through clouds in first-of-its-kind image

A dazzling image taken by NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter shows an unprecedented view of a 12-mile-high volcano poking through clouds at dawn on the Red Planet. Arsia Mons, which dwarfs Earth’s tallest volcanoes, and its two neighboring volcanoes are often surrounded by water ice clouds, especially in the early morning. The image released Friday…

Mars beckons

Mars beckons – CBS News Watch CBS News Mankind has never been closer to setting foot on Mars. NASA is completing construction of its new Mars rover, in readiness for launching next summer, while SpaceX is firing prototypes of its Mars rocket engines, getting ready for short test flights in late 2020. David Pogue reports…