Space probes

A picture of Syrtis Major taken by the Mars Express Orbiter (Image ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum))

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Discovered in 1659, Syrtis Major is a region of Mars with an area of ​​about 1,300×1,500 km (about 930×630 miles), thus about half of Europe. Initially, they thought it was a sea but today we know that this is a region of volcanic origin. Now the ESA Mars Express spacecraft has revealed new details of Syrtis Major.

The space probe IBEX (Image NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)

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NASA spacecraft Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) has been studying interstellar matter since October 2008, when it was launched into orbit, revealing the differences with the matter within the solar system. IBEX observations focused on the atoms of hydrogen, oxygen, neon and helium, which make up interstellar matter.

A mosaic of images taken by the Mars Rover Opportunity in recent days (Image NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/Arizona State University)

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Perhaps it would be more appropriate to celebrate the anniversaries in terms of Martian years but obviously it’s easier to use the Earth’s ones. On January 25, 2004, the Mars Rover Opportunity reached the red planet and after eight Earth years it keeps on working.