Subscribe now
2GYKRJN The waxing crescent Moon near the stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini, with Mars below, as the last of the winter stars set into the western twilight on

How to spot Mars travelling through Gemini this week

26 April 2023

No matter where you live, Mars is currently taking a little stroll through Gemini, so it is a great time to get to know this constellation with its twin stars, Castor and Pollux, and take a look at the Red Planet too, says Abby Beall


2D1173P Moon and Mars conjunction almost occultation

How to see Mars disappear behind the moon this December

30 November 2022

A rare lunar occultation of Mars will be visible from parts of the world this month. Abigail Beall explains how to spot it


Example of a graph with an arch-shaped peak

Join the hunt for clouds high up in the Martian atmosphere

16 November 2022

Cloud gazing isn’t only an Earthly pastime. You can help planetary scientists by cloud spotting on Mars, finds Layal Liverpool


Mars is unusually close this month – here's how to spot it in the sky

Mars is unusually close this month – here's how to spot it in the sky

14 October 2020

Earth and Mars are closer this month than they have been since 2003. To spot the Red Planet, look for a bright red object towards the east after sunset or west before sunrise, says Abigail Beall


Mysterious crater on Mars could be a good place to look for life

Mysterious crater on Mars could be a good place to look for life

18 March 2020

Could life on Mars have hidden from extreme weather in a cavern on the Pavonis Mons volcano? This 2011 orbiter image of an otherworldly crater has NASA asking just that


Quiz of the year: Test your knowledge of 2019's science stories

Quiz of the year: Test your knowledge of 2019's science stories

18 December 2019

How do you revive a burned koala? How many microplastics does a teabag release? Find out how well you've been paying attention with our fun festive quiz


The imperial units error that downed a multi-million-dollar Mars probe

The imperial units error that downed a multi-million-dollar Mars probe

2 October 2019

20 years ago, NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter dived too deep and was crushed in Mars’s atmosphere. The reason? A mix-up between metric and imperial measurements


Mars camera

Mars 2020 rover cameras get eye exams to hunt life on the Red Planet

14 August 2019

This Mars 2020 rover camera could be key to finding life on Mars and learning more about the planet – but only if it passes its vision examination by NASA’s team


James Lovelock standing near the sea at Chesil Beach

James Lovelock says artificial intelligence is the start of new life

11 July 2019

New Scientist interviewed James Lovelock to discuss Gaia’s Novacene and our new AI overlords, microwaving hamsters for science and why Elon Musk’s Mars mission is ‘crazy’


Why 'Martian' Tanya Harrison loves everything about the Red Planet

Why 'Martian' Tanya Harrison loves everything about the Red Planet

8 May 2019

Tanya Harrison has been fascinated by space since she was 5 and now works on rocks and robots on Mars. But her hobby is about as far from space as you can get


Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop