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Monthly Archives: September 2011
Can melting snow make small holes in Mars rocks?
Many rocks on the surface of Mars show pits and small holes. One way such pits can form is when gas-rich lava erupts; the pits, called “vesicles,” form when gas escapes from the lava as it’s cooling. Wind-driven sand can … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Mars Exploration Rovers, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Phoenix, Viking landers, water, weathering
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Seeing Mars on the fly
Mars has as much surface territory as all the land areas of Earth, and scientists have barely touched the planet at ground level, despite 35 years of lander and rover missions. So maybe it’s time to send a hopper. Hugo … Continue reading
Making fans all over
Water and sediment run downhill, on Earth and Mars alike. And when they do, they build broad alluvial (outwash) fans at the foot of slopes. But how fast do these fans accumulate? On Mars, at least, it looks like they … Continue reading
NASA’s long road to Gale Crater
If Gale Crater isn’t your favorite choice for a landing site for NASA’s next Mars rover, you can’t claim the choice was made hastily. The international community of Mars scientists thoroughly sifted the Red Planet to find a feasible landing … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Curiosity, Eberswalde Crater, Gale Crater, Holden Crater, Mars Science Laboratory, Mawrth Vallis, MSL
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Water-related minerals in Noctis Labyrinthus
Noctis Labyrinthus, created 2 to 3 billion years ago, is a sprawling network of intersecting valleys and troughs between the Tharsis volcanic highlands and Valles Marineris. Deep within its troughs, canyon walls and floors display beds of layered rocks and … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged clay minerals, CRISM, HiRISE, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Noctis Labyrinthus, Tharsis, Valles Marineris
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Devilry in the air
With all the spacecraft orbiting Mars, it’s slightly surprising that there aren’t more observations of dust devils shared by two or more instruments. Writing in the September 2011 issue of Icarus, a team of scientists led by Dennis Reiss (Westfälische … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged atmosphere, Claritas Fossae, dust, dust devils, HRSC, Mars Express, Mars Global Surveyor, MOC, Syria Planum, wind
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