Category Archives: Reports

THEMIS: Hephaestus Fossae’s enigmatic channels

Posted on July 17, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, July 17, 2019. This VIS image is located in the central portion of Hephaestus Fossae. Hephaestus Fossae is a complex channel system in Utopia Planitia near Elysium Mons. It has been proposed that the channel … Continue reading →

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Curiosity update: Rolling southward!

Posted on July 16, 2019 by rburnham

Sols 2468-69, July 16, 2019, update by MSL scientist Catherine O’Connell-Cooper: Curiosity finished up our investigation at Harlaw Rise on the weekend, and commenced our drive to an area we are (informally) calling the “Southern Outcrop,” another of the ridge … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: A fresh crater in periglacial terrain

Posted on July 16, 2019 by rburnham

A fresh crater in periglacial terrain. This appears to be a relatively fresh crater in what is called periglacial terrain. Could any changes in the surface be related to ice? (Periglacial refers to an area adjacent to a glacier or … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Wind-etched ground near Gordii Dorsum

Posted on July 16, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, July 16, 2019. Wind is one of the remaining active processes altering the surface of Mars. In regions of long term unidirectional winds, the dust and sand is winnowed away. In places with poorly cemented … Continue reading →

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Curiosity update: Finishing up at Harlaw Rise

Posted on July 15, 2019 by rburnham

Sols 2465-67, July 12, 2019, update by MSL scientist Ken Herkenhoff: The Sol 2463 drive went as planned, leaving the rover in position to examine what appears to be a small dome in the sedimentary rocks (visible on the left … Continue reading →

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Aerogel greenhouses for Mars habitats?

Posted on July 15, 2019 by rburnham

Raising crops on Mars is far easier in science fiction than it will be in real life: The Red Planet is an inhospitable world. Among other challenges, subzero temperatures mean water can persist on the surface only as ice, and … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Springtime for Russell Crater

Posted on July 15, 2019 by rburnham

Springtime for Russell Crater. Russell Crater is another favorite of ours, not only for its beauty, but also for the information it provides us for any changes due to sublimation, when a solid state changes directly to a gaseous one. … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Hills of Arena Colles

Posted on July 15, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, July 15, 2019. Today’s VIS image shows part of Arena Colles. The term colles means hills. Arena Colles is located on the margin where Terra Sabaea steps down in elevation into Utopia Planitia. Explore more … Continue reading →

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HiRISE spots Curiosity at Woodland Bay

Posted on July 12, 2019 by rburnham

A dramatic Martian landscape can be seen in a new image taken from space, showing NASA’s Curiosity rover examining a location called “Woodland Bay.” It’s just one of many stops the rover has made in an area referred to as … Continue reading →

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Curiosity: MAHLI looks away —

Posted on July 12, 2019 by rburnham

Sol 2463, July 11, 2019. Curiosity’s controllers directed the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) — usually aimed to make close-up views of rocks, outcrops, and other nearby features — to shoot a frame looking off toward Vera Rubin Ridge and … Continue reading →

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