Category Archives: Reports

THEMIS: Indus Vallis channel

Posted on August 15, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, August 15, 2019. This VIS image shows a small section of Indus Vallis. Indus Vallis is located in northern Terra Sabaea. Explore more THEMIS Images of the Day by geological subject.

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HiRISE: Meridiani layers

Posted on August 14, 2019 by rburnham

Layers in a depression that are not depressing. Wherein we revel at the stratigraphic gorgeousness of a small area in Sinus Meridiani on the fourth planet from the Sun. Sinus Meridiani was named by the French astronomer Camille Flammarion in … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Bamberg Crater dune field

Posted on August 14, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, August 14, 2019. Today’s VIS image shows a small field of sand dunes on the floor of Bamberg Crater. At the top of the image is a small group of peaks forming a rough circle. … Continue reading →

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Curiosity update: A slight change of plans

Posted on August 13, 2019 by rburnham

Sols 2495-96, August 12, 2019, update by MSL scientist Vivian Sun: Today’s planning began with a bit of a shuffle as we learned that the sample cup that was used for SAM preconditioning over the weekend didn’t seal as well … Continue reading →

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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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