WIRED Staff
Science

Slideshow: Landers to Probe Mars' Waterworks

U.S. and European Mars missions aim to discover whether oceans ever existed on the planet. Some scientists espouse a warm-weather theory, but others believe water on the red planet always has been frozen. By Erik Baard.
Image may contain Soil Nature Outdoors Sand Art Painting and Ground
Gullies like this one, which measures 930 miles across, are similar to channels on Earth formed by flowing water, but on Mars the temperature is normally too cold and the atmosphere too thin to sustain liquid water.NASA

See related story: Landers to Probe Mars' Waterworks

Image may contain Mountain Outdoors Nature Volcano and Crater

is already orbiting Mars, using a high-resolution infrared camera called the Thermal Emission Imaging System, or THEMIS, to take daytime and nighttime photos of heat rising from the planet.

NASA
Image may contain Lighting

exploring the planet.

JPL/NASA