Jellyfish on Mars? No, But Here Are Some Exciting Discoveries From the Red Planet

Anton Petrov18 min2026-09-10 ▶ Watch on YouTube

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What this video is

⚡ a 18-minute video, readable in 60 seconds

This is a roundup of multiple new 2026 Mars studies, tying together fresh findings on the planet's interior, surface geology, and its two moons. The centerpiece is a Nature paper explaining Mars's long-standing north-south hemisphere dichotomy through mantle temperature differences detected via spacecraft gravity tracking. It also covers Curiosity rover discoveries about ancient water cycles preserved in mineral crystals, wind versus water explanations for slope streaks and dry-ice-carved dune formations, and two competing 2026 studies on whether Phobos and Deimos are captured asteroids or ejected Martian debris.

[01:12] A viral 'hovering object' photo above Mars was debunked as a cosmic ray glitch, confirmed when the object appeared in only one of two shots taken 13 seconds apart

Key takeaways

[03:44] A May 2026 study of 20 Curiosity rock samples found hematite crystals up to 6 times larger at older elevations, pointing to repeated ancient water cycles
[03:55] The crystal growth is explained by Ostwald ripening, where smaller hematite crystals dissolve in warm fluid and recrystallize into larger ones over time
[05:04] Analysis of over 2 million streaks on Martian slopes confirmed they are caused by wind-driven dust avalanches, not flowing salty water
[06:25] Lab experiments sliding dry ice chunks down sand dunes recreated the squiggle-shaped formations seen in Hellas Planitia

+ 7 more takeaways

[07:18] A 2026 Nature paper by Alexander Byrne used tracking data from Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to map Mars's interior and explain its north-south hemisphere dichotomy
Gravity mapping (tidal tomography) found Mars's southern mantle is roughly 200 to 400 degrees Celsius warmer than the northern mantle, suggesting the south may still be partially molten
[10:15] The partial mantle melting suggests Mars could still experience volcanic eruptions today
[11:36] A University of Oxford study using InSight seismic data found evidence of interconnected magma systems letting Mars process its crust internally without plate tectonics
[13:06] Simulations show a single 300-meter asteroid impact could explain Deimos's current cratered appearance and thick regolith layer
[14:17] A separate 2026 study found Phobos likely survived its giant Stickney crater impact because its porous, ice-rich interior acted like a shock-absorbing sponge
[15:09] Japan's MMX mission will visit Phobos and return samples around 2031, potentially resolving the competing origin theories for Mars's two moons

Jump to a moment

0:00Mars updates 0:40Jellyfish on Mars?2:05Polygon structures or bizarre honeycombs 4:40Strange dark streaks 6:10Dry ice shapes 6:55Mystery of two hemispheres 9:15What causes such a difference?10:20Mantle boundary we didn't know about 12:20Moons: origin of Deimos 14:00Moons: Phobos 15:30Implications and conclusions

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