The Cultural Center at El Corte Inglés Málaga will host the third lecture in the 19th "A Date with the Stars" series on Thursday, April 9th ​​at 7:30 pm. Entitled "From Earth to Mars: Habitability and the Search for Life", the lecture will feature Dr. Jesús Martínez-Frías, a researcher at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and member of the Royal Academies of Sciences and Doctors of Spain, who will discuss the latest advances in the exploration of the Red Planet. The event is organized by the Málaga Astronomy Society and will be introduced by María Rosa López Ramírez, the society's president.

Mars is the closest and most interesting astrobiological target for the search for traces of past—or even present—microbial life, as suggested by the latest results obtained by the Perseverance rover regarding potential biosignatures. Furthermore, Mars represents humanity's first planetary destination in its foray into space.

The conference will address how the planet's past and present habitability differs substantially, depending on its geological and atmospheric evolution, and how exploration objectives have changed: from current robotic missions to future crewed missions. It will also highlight Spanish participation in NASA missions and in the investigation of planetary analogues such as the Lanzarote UNESCO Geopark.