HiRISE image: Defrosting dunes

Posted on February 21, 2014 by rburnham

Beautiful Mars series: Serious dune defrosting. The dark material is most likely the result of sublimation, where a solid goes directly into a gas, exposing the subsurface material on the lighter top. The ice is carbon dioxide ice, so it won’t make for a good snow cone. More Beautiful Mars images.

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CRISM image: Hydrated sulfates in Candor Chasma

Posted on February 21, 2014 by rburnham

Candor Chasma is a deep, elongate, steep-sided depression about 800 kilometers (about 500 miles) in length, forming just one part of of the Valles Marineris canyon system in the equatorial part of Mars’ western hemisphere. If it were located on Earth, Candor Chasma would extend the distance between Juneau and Anchorage, Alaska! Like other parts of Valles Marineris, Candor contains sedimentary deposits rich in sulfate minerals. This image… [More at link]

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HiRISE image: Dunes in Leighton Crater

Posted on February 21, 2014 by rburnham

Beautiful Mars series: Inching along the floor of Leighton Crater; dunes do move on Mars, although very slowly due to the wind.  More Beautiful Mars images.

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Opportunity raw image: Sol 3581, February 19, 2014

Posted on February 21, 2014 by rburnham

Opportunity’s Navigation camera looks up Murray Ridge toward the McClure-Beverlin Escarpment on the skyline. More Opportunity raw images, its mission status, and the rover’s location.

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THEMIS image: Arabia Terra channel

Posted on February 21, 2014 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, February 21, 2014. This VIS image shows a small unnamed channel on the eastern margin of Arabia Terra. More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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HiRISE image: Future Olympic sand-ski slope

Posted on February 21, 2014 by rburnham

Beautiful Mars series: Future Olympic sand-ski slope in Eos Chasma. More Beautiful Mars images.

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HiRISE image: Streaking crater

Posted on February 20, 2014 by rburnham

Beautiful Mars series: Streaking crater. More Beautiful Mars images.

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HiRISE image: Chevrons on a Marte Vallis lava flow

Posted on February 20, 2014 by rburnham

Lava flows cool as they move allowing their surface to freeze solid. The constant movement below this surface can break it up into a rough mass of jumbled broken rock. Sometimes larger surface areas that are thicker can behave like rafts that are dragged along by the flow. Both features are visible in this image of an ancient lava flow in Cerberus Planitia. Isolated rafts that are still high-standing are visible and frozen into the flow. The rough areas show where the flow was fastest and have merged in places forming the large… [More at link]

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Curiosity raw image: Sol 548, February 20, 2014

Posted on February 20, 2014 by rburnham

Driving backwards (92 meters) to relieve wear on Curiosity’s front and middle wheels, and looking toward the western flank of Mt. Sharp. This image was taken by Navcam: Right B (NAV_RIGHT_B) onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 548 (2014-02-20 05:47:52 UTC). More Sol 548 images (from all cameras) and the rover’s location.

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MARCI weather report: February 10-16, 2014

Posted on February 20, 2014 by rburnham

In the northern hemisphere arcuate dust storms emanating from the residual polar cap edge were observed north of the topographic dichotomy boundary in Utopia, Tempe, and into Acidalia. Diffuse water ice clouds were observed at equatorial latitudes as the aphelion cloud belt continued to accumulate. Local dust raising activity occurred in Solis. Afternoon skies were clear and storm free over… [More, including video, at link]

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