Monthly Archives: August 2019

HiRISE: Terra Cimmeria crater layers

Posted on August 13, 2019 by rburnham

Layers near the top of a crater. With our camera’s resolution, we can find out if these layers on the top of a crater in Terra Cimmeria are actually within a block of material. HiRISE Picture of the Day archive. [More … Continue reading →

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Returning space samples links Apollo 11 and Mars 2020

Posted on August 13, 2019 by rburnham

On July 24, 1969, Apollo 11 command module Columbia splashed down in the Pacific, fulfilling President Kennedy’s goal to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth. Among the mission’s many firsts was the acquisition and … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Terra Sabaea crater channel

Posted on August 13, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, August 13, 2019. Today’s VIS image has a channel dissecting a crater rim, flowing from the interior of a large crater into a smaller crater on the large crater’s floor. The two craters are unnamed … Continue reading →

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Curiosity update: Just another week on Mars

Posted on August 12, 2019 by rburnham

Sols 2492-94, August 12, 2019, update by MSL scientist Brittney Cooper: It’s the end of another week on Mars, and today we put together a 3 sol weekend plan for Curiosity. Given the RSM-related issues that we incurred this past … Continue reading →

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Wind erosion of Mars rocks doesn’t release methane

Posted on August 12, 2019 by rburnham

Wind erosion has been ruled out as the primary cause of methane gas release on Mars, Newcastle University academics have shown. Methane can be produced over time through both geological and biological routes and since its first detection in the … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Melas Chasma valleys

Posted on August 12, 2019 by rburnham

Valleys in Melas Chasma. Caption throwback (2008): The interpretation is that the valleys formed by precipitation in the late Hesperian epoch and the water that formed them collected in the basin to produce a lake where sediment was deposited. This … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Jezero Crater delta landing site

Posted on August 12, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, August 12, 2019. At the top of today’s VIS image is a delta deposit that was created by the flow from the rim channel into the crater. Deltas form when sediments settle out due to … Continue reading →

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MarCO wins the ‘Oscar’ for tiny spacecraft

Posted on August 9, 2019 by rburnham

The first briefcase-size CubeSats to journey to another planet have been honored for their role in NASA InSight’s successful Mars landing. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) bestowed their Small Satellite Mission of the Year award to Mars … Continue reading →

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Latest weather at Gale Crater and Elysium Planitia

Posted on August 9, 2019 by rburnham

Daily Elysium charts and data (temperature, wind speed, atmospheric pressure) here.

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HiRISE: Classic crater

Posted on August 9, 2019 by rburnham

Well preserved and loving it. Is there something particularly special about this nice, 2-kilometer diameter crater? Maybe not, but its simplicity, classic shape and fairly well-preserved rim speak for itself in a desolate landscape. HiRISE Picture of the Day archive. … Continue reading →

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