Curiosity update: ‘Large crater ahead’

Posted on August 26, 2014 by rburnham

Sol 731, August 25, 2014, update on Curiosity from MSL Scientist Lauren Edgar: “Curiosity is back to driving! We are taking the high road around Hidden Valley to avoid potentially deep ripple fields, and making our way towards a large crater… [More at link]

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THEMIS: Landslide

Posted on August 26, 2014 by rburnham

Landslide (THEMIS_IOTD_20140826)THEMIS Image of the Day, August 26, 2014. Today’s VIS image shows a landslide deposit within a complex crater (note the ejecta to the top and bottom of the image). There is a smaller complex crater on the ejecta to the north of the larger crater. This “doublet” crater with the linear interior rim is formed when two impactors hit the surface simultaneously. The impactors are initially all part of the same meteor. The larger crater may have formed from multiple impactors.

More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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Opportunity: Coping with flash memory problems

Posted on August 25, 2014 by rburnham

Sols 3752-3758, August 13-19, 2014. Opportunity is moving south along the west rim of Endeavour Crater heading towards ‘Marathon Valley,’ a putative location for abundant clay minerals. More recently, the incidence of Flash memory-induced resets has increased. The rover experienced resets on Sols 3754, 3757 and 3758 (Aug. 15, 18, and 19, 2014), which stops the onboard master sequence… [More at link]

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

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Curiosity: Rocky terrain to the west

Posted on August 25, 2014 by rburnham

729-west-panSol 729, August 25, 2014. Having given up on the too-soft sands of Hidden Valley, rover drivers now need to find a path going generally westward through the rock garden atop Zabriskie Plateau (three-frame Navcam composite).

NASA description (middle image): This image was taken by Navcam: Left B (NAV_LEFT_B) onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 729 (2014-08-25 05:23:56 UTC).

Sol 729 raw images (from all cameras), and Curiosity’s latest location map.

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HiRISE: Ridges in Atlantis (Chaos)

Posted on August 25, 2014 by rburnham

tumblr_nahbifeKob1rlz4gso1_1280Ridges in Atlantis (Chaos). Beautiful Mars series.

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CRISM: Mesospheric cloud above Sinai Dorsa

Posted on August 25, 2014 by rburnham

CRISM_FeaturedImage_LMB2CBA_CompressedThis image shows a limb (meaning a view of the horizon) of the planet where the surface can be seen at the bottom with an orange tint, a cloud can be seen in the atmosphere, and space is seen above in black. In order to make these observations, the MRO spacecraft must pitch onto its side so CRISM no longer looks down at the surface, but instead out onto the horizon of the planet. This particular observation shows a carbon dioxide (CO2) ice cloud in the mesosphere (middle layer) of Mars’s very minimal atmosphere. Clouds start to form when the temperature becomes so cold that the CO2 is able to freeze from a gas to a solid. This cloud is between 50-90 km from the surface of the planet… [More at link]

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HiRISE: Sulfates in Tithonium Chasma

Posted on August 25, 2014 by rburnham

tumblr_nau05eWC3J1rlz4gso2_1280Sulfates in Tithonium Chasma. Beautiful Mars series.

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THEMIS: Olympia Undae

Posted on August 25, 2014 by rburnham

Polar dunes and hill (THEMIS_IOTD_20140825)THEMIS Image of the Day, August 25, 2014. The dunes in this VIS image are part of Olympia Undae.

More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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Curiosity update: ‘Driving again’

Posted on August 22, 2014 by rburnham

Sol 728-730, August 22, 2014, update on Curiosity from USGS Scientist Ken Herkenhoff: “After much study and discussion, the MSL team decided not to attempt to drill again into the rocks in front of the rover. On Sol 728… [More at link]

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Curiosity won’t drill Bonanza King; will drive on

Posted on August 22, 2014 by rburnham

pia18603-640Evaluation of a pale, flat Martian rock as the potential next drilling target for NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover determined that the rock was not stable enough for safe drilling. The rock, called “Bonanza King,” moved slightly during the mini-drill activity on Wednesday, at an early stage of this test, when the percussion drill impacted the rock a few times to make an indentation. Instead of drilling that or any similar rock nearby, the team has decided that Curiosity will resume driving toward its long-term destination on the slopes of a layered mountain. It will take a route skirting the north side of a sandy-floored valley where it turned around two weeks ago… [More at link]

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