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Monthly Archives: September 2018
Curiosity update: It always looks grayer on the other side!
Sols 2165-67, September 10, 2018, update by MSL scientist Sean Czarnecki: Curiosity’s last plan didn’t quite get our intrepid rover close enough to our next potential drill location in the gray bedrock that is visually distinct on this part of … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Aeolis Mons, Burn O Vat, Curiosity, Gale Crater, Great Bernera, Great Glen, Great Todday, Mars Science Laboratory, Mount Sharp, MSL, Murray Formation, NASA, Portobello, Trollochy, Vera Rubin Ridge
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Weather update from Gale Crater
Posted in Reports
Tagged Curiosity, dust storms, Gale Crater, global dust storms, Mars Science Laboratory, MSL, NASA, temperature, weather
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Curiosity: Looking around at its new location
Sol 2166, September 9, 2018. Following a couple of drives, Curiosity is now parked facing generally northwest, while to the south (below) the lower reaches of Mt. Sharp stand behind the rear of the rover. Click either image to enlarge … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Aeolis Mons, Curiosity, Gale Crater, Mars Science Laboratory, Mount Sharp, MSL, Murray Formation, NASA, Vera Rubin Ridge
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Opportunity report, Sol 5193, by A.J.S. Rayl, The Planetary Society
September 9, 2018: NASA Focuses on Recovering Opportunity as Storm Diminishes and Dust Settles: The dust raising power of the storms that wrapped Mars in a cloud in June and July diminished in August, sending all that powdery stuff back … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Cape Byron, dust, dust storms, Endeavour Crater, global dust storms, Mars Exploration Rover, MER, NASA, Opportunity, Perseverance Valley, weather, wind
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Curiosity update: Things that go bump…
Sols 2163-64, September 5, 2018, update by MSL scientist Lucy Thompson: In our case, the Curiosity rover! The main focus of our 2-sol (sol – martian day) plan today is to bump (drive ~15 m) the rover into place for … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Aeolis Mons, Curiosity, Eathie, Gale Crater, Laithach, Loch Eriboll, Mars Science Laboratory, Mount Sharp, MSL, Murray Formation, NASA, Stoer, The Law, The Minch, Vera Rubin Ridge, Windy Hills
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THEMIS: False-color Nili Fossae
THEMIS Image of the Day, September 10, 2018. This image shows a small section of Nili Fossae. The darker blue tones are usually indications of basaltic sands. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Arizona State University, ASU, false color, Mars Odyssey, NASA, Nili Fossae, THEMIS, THEMIS Image of the Day, Thermal Emission Imaging System
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Curiosity report, Sols 2093-2162, by Emily Lakdawalla, The Planetary Society
September 6, 2018: Three Tries to Successful Drill Atop Vera Rubin Ridge: Heedless of the (now-dissipating) dust storm, Curiosity has achieved its first successful drill into rocks that form the Vera Rubin ridge, and is hopefully on the way to … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Aeolis Mons, Ailsa Craig, Curiosity, Duluth, Gale Crater, hematite, Mars Science Laboratory, Mount Sharp, MSL, Murray Formation, NASA, Stoer, Vera Rubin Ridge, Voyageurs
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HiRISE: Hanging sand dunes in Coprates Chasma
Dune fields located among canyon wall slopes are also known as “wall dune fields” and are further identified as either climbing or falling. Falling dunes are defined as large bedforms with lee faces on the downhill side—indicating that this is … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Coprates Chasma, dunes, High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, HiRISE, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA, sand dunes, University of Arizona
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THEMIS: Storm clouds over Utopia
THEMIS Image of the Day, September 7, 2018. This VIS image shows the cloud tops of a large storm over Utopia Planitia. The clouds are composed mainly of dust and completely hide the surface. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Arizona State University, ASU, dust storms, false color, Mars Odyssey, NASA, THEMIS, THEMIS Image of the Day, Thermal Emission Imaging System, Utopia Planitia
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Curiosity surveys a mystery under dusty skies
After snagging a new rock sample on Aug. 9, NASA’s Curiosity rover surveyed its surroundings on Mars, producing a 360-degree panorama of its current location on Vera Rubin Ridge. The panorama includes umber skies, darkened by a fading global dust … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Aeolis Mons, Curiosity, Gale Crater, hematite, Mars Science Laboratory, Mount Sharp, MSL, Murray Formation, NASA, Pettegrove Point, Stoer, Vera Rubin Ridge
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