HiRISE: All along the fractures

ESP_042223_1890-1We often take images of sand dunes to study the mobile soils. These images provide information about erosion and movement of surface material, about wind and weather patterns, even about the soil grains and grain sizes. However, looking past the dunes, these images also reveal the nature of the substrate beneath.

Within the spaces between the dunes, a resistant and highly fractured surface is revealed. The fractured ground is resistant to erosion by the wind, and suggests the material is bedrock that is now shattered by a history of bending stresses or temperature changes, such as cooling, for example.  [More at link]

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THEMIS: Terra Sabaea – false color

Terra Sabaea mesas and channels (THEMIS_IOTD_20151001)THEMIS Image of the Day, October 1, 2015. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today’s false color image shows mesas and channels on the margin of Terra Sabaea.

More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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HiRISE: Ares 3 landing site: fact meets fiction

ESP_041277_2115Andy Weir, the author of the best-selling novel “The Martian,” had previously contacted the HiRISE team requesting that we take a picture of the Ares 3 landing site from his novel in Acidalia Planitia, within driving distance from the Pathfinder lander and Sojourner rover.

One of the main objectives of the HiRISE camera is to carry out “monitoring science”, which means we usually take images of certain areas of high scientific interest on regular intervals. We usually do so to monitor… [More at link]

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MARCI weather report, September 21-27, 2015

releaseimg_150921_150927A slight uptick in dust lifting activity was observed last week on Mars. Small local storms were spotted over Solis and areas north of Argyre at the beginning of the week. Dust activity reached into the eastern canyons of Valles Marineris on the following sol. Short-lived dust storms also occurred over Promethei, Cimmeria, Sirenum, and eastern Noachis. At equatorial latitudes… [More at link, including video]

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Opportunity: Exploring for clay minerals

4153-navcam1F496877694EFFCOECP1211R0M1Sol 4153, September 30, 2015. With the rover visiting Marathon Valley outcrops, mission scientists are looking for rocks containing clay (phyllosilicate) minerals. (Click above image to enlarge.)

Opportunity raw images, its latest mission status, a location map. and atmospheric opacity, known as tau.

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THEMIS: Mawrth Vallis – false color

Mawrth Valles - false color (THEMIS_IOTD_20150930)THEMIS Image of the Day, September 30, 2015. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today’s false color image shows where Mawrth Vallis empties into Chryse Planitia. This image is located downstream from yesterday’s Mawrth Vallis image.

More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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Curiosity update: ‘Go for full drill at Big Sky!’

1117MH0005090000401449R00_DXXXSol 1119-1120, September 28, 2015, update from USGS scientist Ryan Anderson: As you can see, our mini-drill over the weekend went well, so we are GO for drilling “Big Sky” on sol 1119! The hope is that this location will provide a good sample of the “typical” rock in the area to compare with some of the interesting alteration we’ve been seeing. Along with the drilling, there will be a bunch of MAHLI… [More at link]

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Curiosity: Odd erosion remnants

1117-mastcam-narrowSol 1117, September 27, 2015.  The Mastcam’s two lenses (34mm and 100mm) shot portraits of an oddly eroded piece of the terrain. Above is the closeup view from the 100mm lens, below is the area around it, taken with the 34mm lens. Note the other strange erosion remnants nearby, which show hints of intersecting fractures in the rock. Click either image to enlarge.

Sol 1117 raw images (from all cameras), and Curiosity’s latest location map.

1117-mastcam-wide

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THEMIS: Mawrth Vallis – false color

Highlands and channel at Mawrth Valles (THEMIS_IOTD_20150929)THEMIS Image of the Day, September 29, 2015. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today’s false color image shows part of Mawrth Vallis, near to the point where it empties into Chryse Planitia.

More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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Curiosity: Mini-start drill hole on Big Sky

1117MH0005090000401449R00_DXXXSol 1117, September 27, 2015. The rover’s Mars Hand lens Imager (MAHLI) shows the result of the test hole in Big Sky, carried out to determine if the rock is capable of being drilled fully. Click to enlarge.

Sol 1117 raw images (from all cameras), and Curiosity’s latest location map.

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