Opportunity: Ruffner rock in color

Posted on October 6, 2014 by rburnham

1P465348935ESFCHVOP2592L5M1_L2L5L5L7L7Sol 3798, September 30, 2014. The big rock on the rim of Ulysses Crater, as seen in a false-color image created by Holger Isenberg using filtered Pancam frames.

Opportunity raw images, its latest mission status, and a location map.

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THEMIS: South polar textures

Posted on October 6, 2014 by rburnham

Minimalist south polar cap texture (THEMIS_IOTD_20141006)THEMIS Image of the Day, October 6, 2014. This VIS image of the south pole shows a surface with numerous oval depressions. This texture has been described as looking like swiss cheese.

More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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Curiosity update: ‘Preparing SAM’

Posted on October 4, 2014 by rburnham

Sol 768-770, October 3, 2014, update from USGS Scientist Ken Herkenhoff: “The tactical team took a day off Thursday to make the transition from restricted (every other day) to nominal (daily) planning.  That meant that, to complete all of…” [More at link]

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HiRISE: Dune and ripple migration in Nili Patera

Posted on October 3, 2014 by rburnham

ESP_028575_1890Nili Patera is a region on Mars in which dunes and ripples are moving rapidly. HiRISE continues to monitor this area every couple of months to see changes over seasonal and annual time scales. Here we see obvious activity over a span of less than two Earth years. Three prominent changes are obvious: 1) the dunes are migrating… [More at link]

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Opportunity: Close-up on rock shards

Posted on October 3, 2014 by rburnham

3800-rockSol 3800 (!), October 2, 2014. The Microscopic Imager captures shards of rock on the rim of Ulysses Crater, in a two-frame composite. Below: what the Hazcam saw (contrast adjusted).

1F465536741EFFCHWNP1110L0M1Opportunity raw images, its latest mission status, and a location map.

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THEMIS: Apollinaris Mons

Posted on October 3, 2014 by rburnham

Apollinaris Mons (THEMIS_IOTD_20141003)THEMIS Image of the Day, October 3, 2014. This VIS image of Apollineris Mons shows erosion of the materials on its southern flank.

More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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HiRISE: Possible future landing site in Oxia Planum

Posted on October 2, 2014 by rburnham

ESP_037070_1985Oxia Planum is broad clay-bearing surface between Mawrth and Ares Vallis that has been proposed as a future landing site on Mars. Remnants of a possible fan or delta near the outlet of Coogoon Vallis is a potential science target at this location. [More at link]

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Curiosity: ChemCam Remote Micro-Imager pan

Posted on October 2, 2014 by rburnham

766-chemcam2Sol 766, October 2, 2014. A four-image composite view by the Remote Micro-Imager of a small outcrop lying several yards in front of of the rover.

Sol 766 raw images (from all cameras), and Curiosity’s latest location map.

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THEMIS: Hebes Chasma

Posted on October 2, 2014 by rburnham

Badlands of Hebes Chasma (THEMIS_IOTD_20141002)THEMIS Image of the Day, October 2, 2014. This VIS image shows a portion of Hebes Chasma.

More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

 

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Curiosity update: ‘Dump pile’

Posted on October 1, 2014 by rburnham

0765MH0004300000300126R00_DXXXSol 767, October 1, 2014, update from MSL Scientist Lauren Edgar: “Curiosity continues to investigate the Pahrump Hills outcrop. The Sol 767 plan includes MAHLI and APXS observations of the target Morrison, as well as MAHLI images of the drill hole and dump pile (the dump pile consists of the part of the drilled sample that did not make it through the 150-micron sieve). Today’s plan also includes…” [More at link]

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