Red Planet Report

MARCI weather report, April 15-21, 2019

Posted on April 24, 2019 by rburnham

Conditions poleward of 58° S were dusty as local storms continued to crop-up along the mid- to high-latitudes of Mars last week. Looking to the northern lowlands, a couple of long arcuate-shaped dust storms pressed southward over Acidalia near the middle and end of the week. Focusing on the tropics, the high plains of Syria were partially obscured by a brief dust storm one afternoon… [More at link, including video]

Posted in Reports | Tagged atmosphere, clouds, dust, dust storms, haze, Malin Space Science Systems, MARCI, Mars Color Imager, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, MSSS, NASA, storms, weather, wind | Comments Off

HiRISE: Blocks and troughs

Posted on April 24, 2019 by rburnham

Blocks and troughs. This region in Margaritifer Chaos is located in a system of finger-like rifts and cracked surface stretching south from what appear to be three impact craters. The interaction/relation between these valleys and their neighboring craters could be useful in determining erosional timescales and/or processes.

HiRISE Picture of the Day archive. [More at links]

Posted in Reports | Tagged chaotic terrain, High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, HiPOD, HiRISE, HiRISE Picture of the Day, Margaritifer Chaos, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA, tectonics, troughs, University of Arizona | Comments Off

THEMIS: Terra Cimmeria crater gullies

Posted on April 24, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, April 24, 2019. This VIS image shows part of the rim of an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria. A group of channels dissect the rim near to upper left of the image. These channels are called gullies due to being on a steep slope rather than a flat river plain.

With careful examination, it is possible to see a boundary layer between the upper incised gully and a lower deposition region. The boundary marks a change in slope, the steep upper portion supports fast moving fluid that carves into the rim eroding materials.

The change to a flatter slope causes the fluid to slow down and as it slows the materials carried by the fluid a deposited.

Explore more THEMIS Images of the Day by geological subject.

Posted in Reports | Tagged Arizona State University, ASU, gullies, Mars Odyssey, NASA, Terra Cimmeria, THEMIS, THEMIS Image of the Day, Thermal Emission Imaging System | Comments Off

Curiosity update: A new drill hole!

Posted on April 23, 2019 by rburnham

Sols 2386-2387, April 22, 2019, update by MSL scientist Ken Herkenhoff: The drilling planned for last weekend was successful, so the top priority for Sol 2386 is to drop portions of the Kilmarie sample onto a closed SAM inlet cover and take Mastcam images after each dropoff to characterize the size of each portion. The results of this portioning test will be used to decide how many portions to eventually drop into SAM. After this testing is completed, Mastcam will measure the amount of dust in the atmosphere above MSL by imaging the Sun through neutral-density filters, and Navcam will search for clouds. Then the ChemCam RMI will acquire a “stack” of images of the Aberlady drill hole at various focus settings to find the best focus setting for future LIBS elemental chemistry measurements from our new vantage point. The RMI will also acquire a couple mosaics of the sulfate-rich rocks exposed… [More at link]

Posted in Reports | Tagged Aberlady, Aeolis Mons, Caledonian Canal, CBU, clay-bearing unit, Curiosity, Gale Crater, Glen Torridon, Kilmarie, Mars Science Laboratory, Mount Sharp, MSL, Murray Formation, NASA, Quirang | Comments Off

HiRISE: Side by side

Posted on April 23, 2019 by rburnham

Side by side. The objective of this observation is to examine a small channel that has cut through a crater north of Hellas Planitia.

HiRISE Picture of the Day archive. [More at links]

Posted in Reports | Tagged channels, fluvial channels, Hellas Planitia, High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, HiPOD, HiRISE, HiRISE Picture of the Day, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA, University of Arizona | Comments Off

InSight: First likely marsquake detected

Posted on April 23, 2019 by rburnham

NASA’s Mars InSight lander has measured and recorded for the first time ever a likely “marsquake.”

The faint seismic signal, detected by the lander’s Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument, was recorded on April 6, the lander’s 128th Martian day, or sol. This is the first recorded trembling that appears to have come from inside the planet, as opposed to being caused by forces above the surface, such as wind. Scientists still are examining the data to determine the exact cause of the signal.

“InSight’s first readings carry on the science that began with NASA’s Apollo missions,” said InSight Principal Investigator Bruce Banerdt of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. “We’ve been collecting background noise up until now, but this first event officially kicks off a new field: Martian seismology!” [More at link]

Posted in Reports | Tagged Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, CNES, DLR, Elysium Planitia, German Aerospace Center, InSight, Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL, marsquakes, NASA, SEIS, Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure, seismology | Comments Off

Curiosity: Kilmarie in color

Posted on April 23, 2019 by rburnham

Sol 2384, April 21, 2019. The Mastcam (100mm lens) took this image of the Kilmarie drill hole, which it appears may be shallower than Aberlady. Click the image to enlarge it.

Sol 2384 raw images (from all cameras).

Posted in Reports | Tagged Aberlady, Aeolis Mons, CBU, clay-bearing unit, Curiosity, Gale Crater, Glen Torridon, Kilmarie, Mars Science Laboratory, Mount Sharp, MSL, Murray Formation, NASA | Comments Off

THEMIS: Kaiser Crater dunes

Posted on April 23, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, April 23, 2019. This VIS image shows large individual dunes on the floor of Kaiser Crater.

Small dark lines to the right of the sand dunes are the tracks made by dust devils as they move along the surface. Kaiser Crater is located in Noachis Terra.

Explore more THEMIS Images of the Day by geological subject.

Posted in Reports | Tagged active dunes, Arizona State University, ASU, dunes, dust devil tracks, Kaiser Crater, Mars Odyssey, NASA, sand dunes, THEMIS, THEMIS Image of the Day, Thermal Emission Imaging System | Comments Off

Curiosity: Kilmarie drilled

Posted on April 22, 2019 by rburnham

Sol 2384, April 21, 2019. Successful drilling at Kilmarie puts two drill holes in the same Navcam frame. Aberlady is on the left, Kilmarie on the right on what may be a separate piece of bedrock. Click the image to enlarge it.

Sol 2384 raw images (from all cameras).

HiRISE: Quite smoooooth

Posted on April 22, 2019 by rburnham

Quite smoooooth. Here in Deuteronilus Mensae, there is a smooth geologic unit overlying plains material. There are also slightly convex-up edges, polygonal patterns on the surface, and softened craters.

HiRISE Picture of the Day archive. [More at links]

Posted in Reports | Tagged Deuteronilus Mensae, High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, HiPOD, HiRISE, HiRISE Picture of the Day, ice-rich mantling, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA, periglacial processes, periglacial terrain, polygonal terrain, University of Arizona | Comments Off

MARCI weather report, April 15-21, 2019

HiRISE: Blocks and troughs

THEMIS: Terra Cimmeria crater gullies

Curiosity update: A new drill hole!

HiRISE: Side by side

InSight: First likely marsquake detected

Curiosity: Kilmarie in color

THEMIS: Kaiser Crater dunes

Curiosity: Kilmarie drilled

HiRISE: Quite smoooooth

Recent Posts

Archives

Recent Posts

Archives

Links

general

mission instruments

missions

news