Tag Archives: MRO

HiRISE: Landing in Oxia Palus

This image shows a cratered area to the southeast of the ExoMars 2020 Rosalind Franklin rover landing site at Oxia Palus. Selecting and characterizing landing sites is a balance between having science targets and avoiding potential obstacles, and HiRISE is … Continue reading

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MARCI weather report, June 3-9, 2019

Last week on Mars, dust storm activity continued along the edge of the receding seasonal north polar ice cap. Near the beginning of the week, a regional-scale dust storm occurred over the eastern Arcadia region and spread both southward to … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Dune footprints in Hellas Planitia

These curious chevron shapes in southeast Hellas Planitia are the result of a complex story of dunes, lava, and wind. Long ago, there were large crescent-shaped (barchan) dunes that moved across this area, and at some point, there was an … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Rhythmic layers east of Medusae Fossae

The surface of this image looks wavy, like that of the sea. These wave shapes are the result of erosion: the removal of material, which has been ongoing for millions, if not billions, of years. This erosion is likely performed … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Tooting Crater ejecta

In this picture we can see a huge tongue-like form, which looks a like a mudflow with boulders on its surface. This “tongue” is only a small part of a larger deposit that completely surrounds Tooting Crater (not visible in … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Wisps

Wisps. This rough terrain with prominent, wispy dust streaks is within Mangala Valles. Mangala Valles is a complex system of criss-crossing channels on Mars, located in the Tharsis region. HiRISE Picture of the Day archive. [More at links]

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HiRISE: In western Mawrth Vallis

In western Mawrth Vallis. The layered deposits here exhibit strong and diverse spectral signatures of clays. HiRISE Picture of the Day archive. [More at links]

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HiRISE: A work of art

A work of art. An impressionist painting? No, it’s a new impact crater that has appeared on the surface of Mars, formed at most between September 2016 and February 2019. What makes this stand out is the darker material exposed … Continue reading

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MARCI weather report, May 27-June 2, 2019

There was a slight uptick in dust activity this past week on Mars. The week began with a couple of arcuate-shaped dust storms extending over the retreating seasonal north polar ice cap in Acidalia and Arcadia. Looking to the southern … Continue reading

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HiRISE: A song of dune and ice

A song of dune and ice. This image shows rare dunes superposed on elements of the polar cap near Olympia Undae, which is a vast dune field in the north polar region of Mars. HiRISE Picture of the Day archive. … Continue reading

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