Monthly Archives: July 2011

South polar CO2 ice could double Mars’ atmosphere

Posted on July 28, 2011 by rburnham

Results from the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) instrument on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show that the south polar layered deposits on Mars hold about 30 times as much carbon dioxide ice as previously known. If this CO2 were released into the … Continue reading →

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Mars in the Mojave?

Posted on July 26, 2011 by rburnham

Where do you go to order up some Mars on Earth? Several places, actually, such as the Atacama Desert in Peru (which is very dry), the Dry Valleys of Antarctica (dry and cold), and Houghton Island in Canada’s high arctic … Continue reading →

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Commemorating Mars Exploration Rover Spirit

Posted on July 21, 2011 by rburnham

The cast and crew of scientists and engineers who designed, built, and operated the Mars rover Spirit for its 2,210 days in Gusev Crater held a commemoration and celebration for the rover at its birthplace, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, on … Continue reading →

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Will Opportunity find dunes on the move?

Posted on July 18, 2011 by rburnham

Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is driving toward the rim of Endeavour Crater on Meridiani Planum. Twenty-two kilometers (14 miles) wide, Endeavour is largely obliterated, with only about half its rim remaining as low hills rising above the plain. The crater’s … Continue reading →

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Meteorites: Keys to bygone Mars climates

Posted on July 15, 2011 by rburnham

The sky falls on Mars, too, just as it does sometimes on Earth. In its long crosscountry drive over the pool table expanse of Meridiani Planum, Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has encountered more than a dozen meteorites, all of them … Continue reading →

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