Category Archives: Reports

Curiosity update: Goodbye, my fair Aberlady

Posted on April 18, 2019 by rburnham

Sol 2381, April 17, 2019, update by MSL scientist Sarah Lamm: Curiosity is finishing up at “Aberlady” and ready to move on to our next drill target. We are preparing to drill a second hole in the clay bearing unit. … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Abstract art in Ius Chasma

Posted on April 18, 2019 by rburnham

Sometimes Mars’ surface is just beautiful as seen through the eyes of HiRISE. This is one example on the floor of Ius Chasma, part of Valles Marineris. The region has had a complex history of sediment deposition, deformation, erosion, and … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: North polar ice cap in false color

Posted on April 18, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, April 18, 2019. The polar caps of Mars were deposited over millions of years. Seasonal depositions of ice and dust have created layer upon layer of material. In this false color image the white and … Continue reading →

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Curiosity update: Lucky number 3

Posted on April 17, 2019 by rburnham

Sol 2380, April 16, 2019, update by MSL scientist Brittney Cooper: Yesterday’s discussions with the science team focused on determining which target in the vicinity of “Aberlady” will become the focus of the next drill campaign: target 2, or target … Continue reading →

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MARCI weather report, April 8-14, 2019

Posted on April 17, 2019 by rburnham

Weather patterns were fairly typical across Mars this past week. Looking to the northern hemisphere, a couple of dust storms dipped southward towards southern Acidalia. Neighboring these events, a local-scale storm occurred over Tempe Terra near the beginning of the … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Landslides in Cerberus Fossae

Posted on April 17, 2019 by rburnham

Cerberus Fossae is a steep-sided set of troughs cutting volcanic plains to the east of Elysium Mons. Steep slopes on Mars have active landslides (also called “mass wasting”), and here we see evidence for two types of activity. First, the … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Not white, not rock

Posted on April 17, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, April 17, 2019. This VIS image shows part of the floor of Pollack Crater. First imaged by Mariner 9, the high contrast between the crater floor and the bright feature, led to the informal name … Continue reading →

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Curiosity: Scoping out a hillside

Posted on April 16, 2019 by rburnham

Sol 2379, April 16, 2019. Curiosity’s Remote Micro-Imager (RMI) shot a five-frame composite of a hillside with layered rocks that lies south of the rover.  Below is a two-frame Navcam composite from Sol 2376 showing Mt. Sharp and the terrain … Continue reading →

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Curiosity: Peering into Aberlady drill hole

Posted on April 16, 2019 by rburnham

Sol 2378, April 15, 2019. The rover’s Mars Hand-Lens Imager (MAHLI) peered into the Aberlady drill hole and saw tailings inside and out. In addition, it recorded the light-toned layer partway down the hole. Its composition — gypsum? — and … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Impact-induced dust avalanches

Posted on April 16, 2019 by rburnham

HiRISE has been imaging new dark features discovered by MRO’s Context Camera, which are mostly new impact sites. In this scene we see what appears to be a new impact cluster and, extending downhill from the craters, new dark slope … Continue reading →

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