Category Archives: Reports

Curiosity update: A great outcrop!

Posted on July 23, 2019 by rburnham

Sol 2474, July 22, 2019, update by MSL scientist Kristen Bennett: Today’s one-sol plan included both remote science and contact science. The team planned a large Mastcam mosaic of the outcrop located to the south of Curiosity. The image above … Continue reading →

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ExoMars 2020 radio science instrument tested

Posted on July 23, 2019 by rburnham

An ambitious instrument for ESA’s ExoMars 2020 mission has passed its testing in conditions resembling those on the Red Planet. It will now be transported to Russia for its acceptance review, followed by integration onto the Kazachok Surface Platform, scheduled … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: McLaughlin Crater dunes

Posted on July 23, 2019 by rburnham

McLaughlin Crater dunes. This image is part of a seasonal monitoring campaign to detect changes and quantify migration rates of the dunes in McLaughlin Crater. McLaughlin is one of the deepest craters on Mars, and was named after Dean B. … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: North polar layers and sand dunes

Posted on July 23, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, July 23, 2019. Today’s VIS image shows part of the north polar cap, as well as sand dunes located on the floor of a polar trough. The north polar cap is surrounded by numerous dune … Continue reading →

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Curiosity update: Additional contact science and a soliday at Sandside Harbour

Posted on July 22, 2019 by rburnham

Sols 2472-73, July 22, 2019, update by MSL scientist Lauren Edgar: Curiosity is still parked in front of an outcrop known as “Sandside Harbour” in order to investigate differences in the lighter and darker outcrop expressions. Contact science in the … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Dust devils dancing on dunes

Posted on July 22, 2019 by rburnham

Dust devils dancing on dunes. Dust devils make dark, diffuse scribble markings on the surface by kicking up dust, and are especially active in the summertime over dark surfaces, such as those with many deposits of sand-sized material. HiRISE Picture … Continue reading →

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What does a marsquake look and feel like?

Posted on July 22, 2019 by rburnham

Southern California got all shook up after a set of recent quakes. But Earth isn’t the only place that experiences quakes: Both the Moon and Mars have them as well. NASA sent the first seismometer to the Moon 50 years … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Layers in the north polar ice cap

Posted on July 22, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, July 22, 2019. Millions of years of alternating seasons have created the north polar cap. Ice is laid down during the winter and dust coats the ice in summer. The ice/dust cycle creates layers as … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Massif beauty

Posted on July 19, 2019 by rburnham

Massif beauty. We have two simple objectives with this image: to fill in gaps of coverage of this area in Coprates Chasma and to look for colorful slopes of mafic materials. (“Mafic” refers to a silicate mineral or igneous rock … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Patterns on patterns in the Olympia Undae dunes

Posted on July 19, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, July 19, 2019. Today’s VIS image shows a small portion of Olympia Undae. Olympia Undae is a large dune field that dominates the plains along part of the north polar cap. This image was collected … Continue reading →

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