Category Archives: Reports

HRSC: A chaos found only on Mars

Posted on June 28, 2019 by rburnham

The cracked, uneven, jumbled landscape seen in this image from ESA’s Mars Express forms an intriguing type of terrain that cannot be found on Earth: chaotic terrain. The feature visible here, Aurorae Chaos, is located in the ancient and equatorial … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Troughs and ridges

Posted on June 28, 2019 by rburnham

Troughs and ridges. These wide troughs in Chryse Planitia have a narrow ridge running down the middle. How did these form? (North is to the right.) HiRISE Picture of the Day archive. [More at links]

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Curiosity’s ‘methane mystery’ continues

Posted on June 28, 2019 by rburnham

[Ed. note: original June 23, 2019, story updated on June 24] Curiosity’s team conducted a follow-on methane experiment this past weekend. The results came down early Monday morning: The methane levels have sharply decreased, with less than 1 part per … Continue reading →

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Mars 2020 rover’s robotic arm installed

Posted on June 28, 2019 by rburnham

In this image, taken on June 21, 2019, engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, install the main robotic arm on the Mars 2020 rover. (A smaller arm to handle Mars samples will be installed inside the rover … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Tharsis Tholus volcano flank

Posted on June 28, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, June 28, 2019. This VIS image is located on the flank of Tharsis Tholus. The Tharsis region of Mars is dominated by large volcanoes and extensive lava plains. Explore more THEMIS Images of the Day … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: When lava moved

Posted on June 27, 2019 by rburnham

When lava moved. The objective of this observation is to examine the remains of an ancient lava flow moving in a trough in the Claritas Fossae region. Pictures like this may tell us more about how lava flowed on Mars. … Continue reading →

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MARCI weather report, June 17-23, 2019

Posted on June 27, 2019 by rburnham

With the exception of a single arcuate-shaped dust storm, similar in morphology to a terrestrial low-pressure systems, which was dipping southward across Acidalia, the northern lowlands were relatively uneventful this past week. In the southern hemisphere, a dust storm north … Continue reading →

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Curiosity update: Keep on rollin’ through the rubble to ‘Harlaw’

Posted on June 27, 2019 by rburnham

Sol 2449, June 27, 2019, update by MSL scientist Lucy Thompson: We are continuing our exploration of Glen Torridon (the clay-bearing unit) and the varied lithologies exposed in this area of Gale crater, including more rubbly bedrock that is mixed … Continue reading →

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NASA selects partners for Mars 2020 ‘Name the Rover’ contest, seeks judges

Posted on June 27, 2019 by rburnham

NASA has selected two partner organizations to run a nationwide contest giving K-12 students in U.S. schools a chance to make history by naming the Mars 2020 rover. An application to become contest judge also is now available online. Battelle … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Sharp-rimmed craters

Posted on June 27, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, June 27, 2019. This VIS image is located on plains between Terra Sabaea and Utopia Planitia. In this region craters and other depressions have sharp, narrow margins and rims. Explore more THEMIS Images of the … Continue reading →

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