Monthly Archives: October 2015

Curiosity update: ‘Driving and contact science’

Posted on October 31, 2015 by rburnham

Sol 1148-52, October 30, 2015, update from USGS scientist Ryan Anderson: Apologies for the lack of an update on Wednesday this week! Lauren and I were both in a training class, and Ken was traveling so none of us were … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

A mud flow on Mars?

Posted on October 30, 2015 by rburnham

Planetary Geomorphology Image of the Month, October 31, 2015: Lionel Wilson (Lancaster University, UK) and Peter Mouginis-Mark (University of Hawaii). Image 1 shows a distinctive flow deposit southwest of the Cerberus Fossae on Mars.  The flow source is a ~20 … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , | Comments Off

Curiosity: Scouting the way ahead

Posted on October 30, 2015 by rburnham

Sol 1148, October 29, 2015. Curiosity is driving toward the southwest, picking its way over the outcrops. At the extreme right, the sand-filled Cut Bank Valley stretches west, while the Meeteetse area lies to the left and ahead of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

THEMIS: Tyndall Crater – false color

Posted on October 30, 2015 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, October 30, 2015. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

MRO to rewrite onboard flash memory data tables

Posted on October 29, 2015 by rburnham

Tables stored in flash memory aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) tell locations of Earth and the sun for the past 10 years, but not their locations next year. That needs to be changed. Carefully. The long-lived orbiter relies on … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , | Comments Off

THEMIS: Iani Chaos – false color

Posted on October 29, 2015 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, October 28, 2015. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

HiRISE: Crevasse-like features in the Utopia region

Posted on October 29, 2015 by rburnham

Crevasse-like features in the Utopia region. Beautiful Mars series.

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Opportunity: Close-up on MI target

Posted on October 28, 2015 by rburnham

Sol 4180, October 28, 2015. The Microscopic Imager on the rover’s instrument arm examines a target on the floor of Marathon Valley (below). Click to enlarge. Hazcam view at left, contrast adjusted. Opportunity raw images, its latest mission status, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off

Why is Mars so small compared to Earth?

Posted on October 28, 2015 by rburnham

Using a new process in planetary formation modeling, where planets grow from tiny bodies called “pebbles,” Southwest Research Institute scientists can explain why Mars is so much smaller than Earth. This same process also explains the rapid formation of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , | Comments Off

MARCI weather report, October 19-25, 2015

Posted on October 28, 2015 by rburnham

For the past week on Mars, afternoon water-ice clouds across the equatorial regions continued to linger over high elevation terrain. A small short-lived dust lifting event was observed over Hesperia Planum. Looking to the north, a couple dust lifting events … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off