HiRISE: Colorful layered bedrock

Posted on September 16, 2015 by rburnham

tumblr_nunci80rvk1rlz4gso2_1280Come out and play! Colorful layered bedrock in an eroded crater in Terra Sirenum.

Beautiful Mars series.

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THEMIS: Pollack Crater – false color

Posted on September 16, 2015 by rburnham

Wind-eroded mound Pollock Crater (THEMIS_IOTD_20150916)THEMIS Image of the Day, September 16, 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 the floor of Pollack Crater, including part of the fill material located on the floor.

More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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Curiosity update: ‘Searching for the next drilling location’

Posted on September 15, 2015 by rburnham

1104MR0048930050601072E01_DXXXSol 1106, September 15, 2015, update from USGS scientist Lauren Edgar: After some additional contact science on the Murray formation (of the location shown in the above Mastcam image), we’re now in search of a good sandstone for our next drill target.

The goal of today’s plan is to drive towards a bright patch of blocky outcrop that was first identified in orbital images, and to see if this outcrop is an area that we might want to investigate further.  Today’s plan includes an hour of targeted science, followed by a short drive towards the bright outcrop, and post-drive imaging for targeting.

In the morning science block, we’ll acquire ChemCam and Mastcam observations of the targets “Prichard” and “Cat Creek” to look for changes in composition through the Murray formation. We also planned a Mastcam mosaic… [More at link]

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Opportunity: Upslope, downslope

Posted on September 15, 2015 by rburnham

4138-navcamSol 4138, September 14, 2015. The Navcam looked upslope at the southwest rim of Marathon Valley around 11:30 a.m. local time, then the Pancam looked down the slope  (below) about 3 p.m., catching a glimpse of the Endeavour Crater floor along the top edge of both images and rover tracks on the left. False-color Pancam images by Holger Isenberg; click either to enlarge.

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

4138-pancam

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Curiosity: At the Murray-Stimson contact

Posted on September 15, 2015 by rburnham

1104-navcam-annoSol 1104, September 14, 2015. As Curiosity pauses at the contact between the light-toned Murray Formation and the overlying dark, layered Stimson unit, the Navcam (above) takes in a rough landscape. The yellow box indicates the location of the color Mastcam composite (below), made with frames using the wide-angle lens. Click images to enlarge.

Sol 1104 raw images (from all cameras), and Curiosity’s latest location map.

1104-mastcam34

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THEMIS: Aureum chaos – false color

Posted on September 15, 2015 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the DayAureum Chaos (THEMIS_IOTD_20150915), September 15, 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 Aureum Chaos.

More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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Curiosity update: ‘Murray formation contact science’

Posted on September 14, 2015 by rburnham

NRB_495505621EDR_F0500000NCAM00275M_Sol 1105, September 14, 2015, update from USGS scientist Lauren Edgar: Over the weekend, Curiosity had a successful ~ 21 m drive, and we’re currently parked in front of a beautiful outcrop of the Murray formation (shown in the bottom half of the above Navcam image, overlain by Stimson).  We’ve mostly been driving through the Stimson unit for the past 280 m, so this is a great opportunity to do contact science on the Murray formation to look for any changes in composition or grain size.

I was the Geology Theme Lead today, and our plan consists of 1.5 hours of targeted remote science, followed by contact science.  We planned several ChemCam and Mastcam observations… [More at link]

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HiRISE: Discontinuous sinuous ridge

Posted on September 14, 2015 by rburnham

tumblr_nun9pp3gDb1rlz4gso1_1280A discontinuous sinuous ridge on the fourth planet from Sol. Beautiful Mars series.

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Opportunity: Targets on the slope

Posted on September 14, 2015 by rburnham

4137-navcamSol 4136-7, September 13, 2015. With Opportunity parked on the slope of Marathon Valley, the rover’s imagers are recording the area, near and far. Above is a three-frame Navcam composite looking generally north. In the center lies a largish rock and a smaller one to its right.  The smaller rock appears at left in Holger Isenberg‘s false-color Pancam composite (below). This is the outcrop target dubbed Pvt. George Gibson.

4136-MIAt right is a Microscopic Imager view of part of Pvt. Silas Goodrich.

Click any image to enlarge.

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

4137-pancam

 

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THEMIS: Becquerel Crater – false color

Posted on September 14, 2015 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the DayBecquerel Crater mound (THEMIS_IOTD_20150914), September 14, 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 the floor of Becquerel Crater. The fill material has covered an older crater, which just remains as the arc of rim in the center of the image.

More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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