Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.

Mars has northern and southern hemispheres like Earth, but their defining characteristics are markedly different, a phenomenon known as Martian dichotomy. The Southern Highlands are older, higher in elevation and more cratered than the Northern Lowlands.

So I grabbed my camera, ran outside, and looked up just as Mars was supposed to emerge from the Moon's curved horizon. Seen with the naked eye, the Moon's brightness far outshined Mars, casting soft shadows on a cold winter evening in East Texas.

I pick out North America’s celestial highlights for the week ahead (which also apply to mid-northern latitudes in the northern hemisphere).

We have long been inspired by the idea that life could reside on Mars – human or otherwise. But fiction is getting closer to reality, says NASA’s former chief scientist, Jim Green. “NASA’s plan, in the long run,

Flying some 140 million miles to Mars is one of NASA's biggest plans so far and a space expert has revealed exactly how resilient and dedicated astronauts need to be.

The Red Planet reaches its best position all year this week on January 15. Here’s how and when to get out and see it.

NASA recently released an overhead view of what appears to be massive kidney beans found on Mars' northern hemisphere. In reality, the legume imposters are frozen sand dunes, which are common on Mars and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Mars will seem to disappear behind the full wolf moon Monday for many sky-gazers. Throughout January, also look up to see Venus, Saturn and Jupiter in the night sky.

NASA’s Curiosity rover is skygazing and photographing lovely examples of noctilucent clouds on Mars. The wispy formations hang like a veil across the sky.

The Red Planet will be at its closest point to Earth, also known as perigee, on Jan. 12 and will be exactly opposite the sun on Jan. 15. It will be visible all night long because it will rise with the sunset and set with the sunrise.

A new analysis of marsquakes measured by NASA’s InSight lander indicates Mars has a solid inner core – but other researchers say the evidence is thin