Curiosity update: ‘Contact science on Big Sky’

Posted on September 24, 2015 by rburnham

NLB_496221605EDR_F0500592NCAM00353M_Sol 1114-1115, September 23, 2015, update from USGS scientist Ken Herkenhoff: The 14-meter Sol 1112 drive completed as planned, and the rover is in a good position for contact science.  There are flat areas in front of the rover that are suitable for drilling, so the Sol 1114 plan includes DRT brushing, MAHLI imaging, and APXS measurements of a target named “Big Sky.”  Before the arm is deployed, ChemCam and Mastcam will observe Big Sky and “Big Rock.”  [More at link]

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HiRISE: Branched ridge landform in valley center

Posted on September 24, 2015 by rburnham

tumblr_nv3ra0agWp1rlz4gso2_1280Branched ridge landform in center of a valley — Could this landform represent an inverted braided stream?

Beautiful Mars series.

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THEMIS: Melas Chasma

Posted on September 24, 2015 by rburnham

Melas ChasmaTHEMIS Image of the Day, September 24, 2015. Today’s VIS image shows part of the floor of Melas Chasma, which is part of the much larger Valles Marineris.

More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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MARCI weather report, September 14-20, 2015

Posted on September 23, 2015 by rburnham

releaseimg_150914_150920Diffuse water-ice cloud activity continued in the equatorial latitudes this past week as the aphelion cloud-belt developed. Each sol, dust activity and optically thick water-ice clouds were observed along the receding north polar ice cap edge. In the southern hemisphere, short-lived local scale dust storms were spotted over… [More at link, including video]

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Opportunity: Pvt. George Gibson under the MI

Posted on September 23, 2015 by rburnham

4144-navcam4144-miSol 4144, September 21, 2015. Opportunity’s Microscopic Imager has shot a multi-frame mosaic of the target dubbed Pvt. George Gibson as part of its survey of outcrops on the floor of Marathon Valley (right). Above, Navcam takes a long view to the east. Click images to enlarge.

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

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THEMIS: Gasa Crater

Posted on September 23, 2015 by rburnham

Crater in Gasa Crater (THEMIS_IOTD_20150923)THEMIS Image of the Day, September 23, 2015. This VIS image shows Gasa Crater, a small crater within a larger crater.

More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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HiRISE: Ancient bedrock exposed at Roddy Crater

Posted on September 22, 2015 by rburnham

tumblr_nuzqoqMHkV1rlz4gso1_1280Ancient bedrock exposed in rim of Roddy Crater. Beautiful Mars series.

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THEMIS: Tanaica Montes

Posted on September 22, 2015 by rburnham

Crater on ridge in Tanaica Montes (THEMIS_IOTD_20150922)THEMIS Image of the Day, September 22, 2015. This VIS image shows where an impact created a crater on top of a group of ridges called Tanaica Montes. The slightly out-of-round shape and the distribution of the ejecta was likely all due to the pre-existing landforms.

More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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Curiosity update: ‘Rough driving’

Posted on September 22, 2015 by rburnham

NRB_496043082EDR_F0500448NCAM00281M_-br2Sol 1112-1113, September 21, 2015, update from USGS scientist Ryan Anderson: The drive on Sol 1111 stopped early after just over 15 meters because we were driving over rough terrain and part of the rover’s suspension exceeded the allowed amount of tilt (this is not a physical limit, just a threshold in the software that tells the rover to stop and check with Earth to be safe). The rover is fine and we plan to drive again in the Sol 1112 plan. Meanwhile we are trying to decide where in the area we want to drill… [More at link]

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Curiosity: Exploring a contact

Posted on September 22, 2015 by rburnham

1110-navcamSol 1110, September 20, 2015.  The ridge outcrop appears to be the overlying Stimson unit, while the light-tone rocks forming a “pavement” at right are the Murray formation. Click to enlarge.

Sol 1110 raw images (from all cameras), and Curiosity’s latest location map.

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