Tag Archives: Gusev Crater

HiRISE: Before Jezero

Posted on August 16, 2019 by rburnham

Before Jezero. Before Jezero Crater was selected as the landing site for the Mars 2020 mission, this area in Gusev Crater was in the running. The terrain here is very different from nearby Columbia Hills (location of the Spirit rover), … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Ma’adim Vallis

Posted on January 23, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, January 23, 2019. This VIS image shows a small section of Ma’adim Vallis. Ma’adim Vallis is located in Terra Cimmeria and empties into Gusev Crater, the home of the MER Spirit rover. See more THEMIS … Continue reading →

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What the Spirit rover’s Microscopic Imager found

Posted on November 28, 2018 by rburnham

[Editor’s note: From a paper by Ken Herkenhoff and 31 co-authors recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.] Overview of Spirit Microscopic Imager Results The Microscopic Imager (MI) on NASA’s Spirit rover returned the highest‐resolution images of the Martian … Continue reading →

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Scientists to debate Mars 2020 landing site

Posted on October 15, 2018 by rburnham

Hundreds of scientists and Mars-exploration enthusiasts will convene in a hotel ballroom just north of Los Angeles [October 16-18] to present, discuss and deliberate the future landing site for NASA’s next Red Planet rover – Mars 2020. The three-day workshop … Continue reading →

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Mars Express: Rover craters

Posted on September 22, 2017 by rburnham

In the week of 18 September 2017, the low-resolution webcam on ESA’s Mars Express captured some impressive images from between 3000 km to 5000 km altitude. The image series is being used to calibrate the camera now that it has … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Light-toned mounds in Gorgonum Basin

Posted on June 30, 2017 by rburnham

Gorgonum Basin is one of several large basins within the Terra Sirenum region of Mars. Each basin has light-toned mounds, many of which contain clays. Scientists think that Terra Sirenum once had a large lake during an epoch called the … Continue reading →

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Mars 2020 rover landing site short list: Columbia Hills, Jezero Crater, Northeast Syrtis Major

Posted on February 13, 2017 by rburnham

Participants in a landing site workshop for NASA’s upcoming Mars 2020 mission have recommended three locations on the Red Planet for further evaluation. The three potential landing sites for NASA’s next Mars rover include Northeast Syrtis (a very ancient portion … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Wind streaks in Gusev Crater

Posted on December 12, 2016 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, December 12, 2016. Today’s VIS image shows some of the numerous dark linear streaks on the floor of Gusev Crater. These streaks are formed by wind action. The dark streaks are where dust devils have … Continue reading →

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Looking for Mars life — in Chile

Posted on November 17, 2016 by rburnham

Two geoscientists at Arizona State University have made a discovery among hot springs in Chile that may spur scientists to revisit a location on Mars explored several years ago by NASA’s Spirit rover. The discovery involves fingerlike structures that form … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Gusev Crater

Posted on October 7, 2016 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, October 7, 2016. Today’s VIS image shows the part of the floor of Gusev Crater with the Columbia Hills. Numerous dark linear markings were created by dust devil action. The Columbia Hills are where the … Continue reading →

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