THEMIS image: Channels in Arabia Terra

Posted on February 20, 2014 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, February 20, 2014. This VIS image shows a portion of one of the numerous channels that dissect the northern margin of Arabia Terra. More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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Curiosity looks back: Dingo Gap dune in color

Posted on February 20, 2014 by rburnham

This look back at a dune that NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover drove across was taken by the rover’s Mast Camera (Mastcam) during the 538th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity’s work on Mars (Feb. 9, 2014). The rover had driven over the dune three days earlier. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about 9 feet (2.7 meters). The dune is about 3 feet (1 meter) tall in the middle of its span across an opening called “Dingo Gap.” This view is looking eastward. The image has been white balanced to show what the Martian surface materials would look like if under the light of Earth’s sky…… [More at link]

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HiRISE image: Finding faults in Melas Chasma

Posted on February 20, 2014 by rburnham

Melas Chasma is part of the Valles Marineris canyon system, the largest canyon in the Solar System. It has been recently suggested that Melas Chasma may have been produced by an impact crater. To test this idea, HiRISE has been imaging surrounding small faults such as the ones seen in this image. There are actually three faults in this image. The two trench-like features are called “graben” and are caused when the surface stretches apart and blocks of rock drop downwards. The third fault is the wavy ridge the cuts across… [More at link]

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Curiosity’s winding road ahead

Posted on February 19, 2014 by rburnham

This map shows the route driven and route planned for NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover from before reaching “Dingo Gap”— in upper right — to the mission’s next science waypoint, “Kimberley” (formerly referred to as “KMS-9″) — in lower left. The point labeled 547 on the route is where Curiosity finished a drive of 319 feet (100.3 meters) on the 547th Martian day, or sol, of the rover’s mission on Mars (Feb. 18, 2014). The map’s line to that point is the path actually traveled; the yellow line past that is a planned route. Curiosity entered the area covered by this map in late 2013 and passed through Dingo Gap on… [More at link]

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HiRISE image: Far end of an alluvial fan

Posted on February 19, 2014 by rburnham

Beautiful Mars series: Far end of an alluvial fan on the floor of a crater in Xanthe Terra. More Beautiful Mars images.

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HiRISE image: Recurring slope lineae in Coprates

Posted on February 19, 2014 by rburnham

Recurring slope lineae (RSL) may be due to active seeps of water. These dark flows are abundant along the steep slopes of ancient bedrock in Coprates Chasma. The enhanced-color cutout shows a full-resolution sample. The RSL are most prominent on the bright fans at the base of the bedrock, but actually extend back into the bedrock following small channels. MRO is continuing to monitor key sites to better understand this and other geologic activity on Mars. More HiRISE images.

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HiRISE image: Justified and ancient

Posted on February 19, 2014 by rburnham

Beautiful Mars series: Justified and ancient.  More Beautiful Mars images.

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Curiosity raw image: Sol 547, February 19, 2014

Posted on February 19, 2014 by rburnham

Mount Sharp (Aeolis Mons) lies directly in front of Curiosity, with the active sand dunes at the mountain’s foot drawing a dark line at right rear. This image was taken by Front Hazcam: Right B (FHAZ_RIGHT_B) onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 547 (2014-02-19 05:02:48 UTC). More Sol 547 images (from all cameras) and the rover’s location.

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Opportunity raw image: Sol 3579, February 16, 2014

Posted on February 19, 2014 by rburnham

Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity’s left-side Navigation camera looks down into the interior of Endeavour Crater from Murray Ridge, with the crater’s eastern rim segments on the horizon. More Opportunity raw images, its mission status, and the rover’s location.

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HiRISE image: Opportunity rover on Murray Ridge

Posted on February 19, 2014 by rburnham

The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter caught this view of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on Feb. 14, 2014. The red arrow points to Opportunity at the center of the image. Blue arrows point to tracks left by the rover since it entered the area seen here, in October 2013. The scene covers a patch of ground about one-quarter mile (about 400 meters) wide. North is toward the top. The location is the “Murray Ridge” section of the western rim of Endeavour…. [More at link]

Edit: See also the image and description at the HiRISE site.

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