Life on Mars

EARTH to Mars: Happy New Year! That’s the sentiment being offered this weekend in Mars, Pennsylvania, as Nasa and space enthusiasts gather to honour the red planet.

The Martian New Year occurs about every two Earth-years. Tomorrow and Saturday, Nasa will sponsor exhibits and activities in the borough of Mars, about 32km north of Pittsburgh. The agency hopes to encourage young people to study science and technology fields that will further Nasa’s goal of sending humans to Mars in the 2030s.

Mars, on Earth, has a population of about 1,700.