Tag Archives: NASA

THEMIS: Splashy ejecta from Tooting Crater

Posted on July 3, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, July 3, 2019. Today’s VIS image shows part of the ejecta blanket of Tooting Crater. Named for London suburb, Tooting Crater is a large, relatively fresh impact crater located west of Olympus Mons. (For more … Continue reading →

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Mars 2020 rover: Landing with terrain-relative navigation

Posted on July 2, 2019 by rburnham

The view of the Sea of Tranquility rising up to meet Neil Armstrong during the first astronaut landing on the Moon was not what Apollo 11 mission planners had intended. They had hoped to send the lunar module Eagle toward … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: A valley in Libya Montes

Posted on July 2, 2019 by rburnham

A valley in Libya Montes. The objective of this observation is to examine what looks like a valley with a channel on its bed. The Libya Montes are a highland terrain on Mars up-lifted by the giant impact that created … Continue reading →

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InSight: Uncovering ‘the Mole’

Posted on July 2, 2019 by rburnham

Behold the “mole”: The heat-sensing spike that NASA’s InSight lander deployed on the Martian surface is now visible. Last week, the spacecraft’s robotic arm successfully removed the support structure of the mole, which has been unable to dig, and placed … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Streamlined islands in Athabasca Valles

Posted on July 2, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, July 2, 2019. This VIS image shows part of the channel called Athabasca Valles. Several streamlined islands are visible at the top of the image. The source of the flood was likely an outburst of … Continue reading →

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Latest weather at Gale Crater and Elysium Planitia

Posted on July 1, 2019 by rburnham

Daily Elysium charts and data (temperature, wind speed, atmospheric pressure) here.

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CRISM: Polyhydrates, sulfates, gypsum, and Fe silicates at a Sisyphi Montes dome

Posted on July 1, 2019 by rburnham

The Sisyphi Montes are a series of large semicircular mountains in Sisyphi Planum, a volcanic province on Mars located between the south polar terrains, Argyre, and Hellas basins. In this CRISM scene we observe polyhydrated sulfates (magenta), gypsum (blue), and … Continue reading →

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Curiosity update: Climbing higher

Posted on July 1, 2019 by rburnham

Sols 2451-53, June 28, 2019, update by MSL scientist Roger Wiens: Curiosity has been a bit down lately — in elevation. After exploring the top of Vera Rubin Ridge (VRR) last year, the rover descended into a trough south of … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Transition

Posted on July 1, 2019 by rburnham

Transition. This image shows where a fluvial channel changes from a depression to an inverted high standing channel in Terra Sirenum. That change likely marks the spot where the material was possibly elevated and more resistant to erosion. HiRISE Picture … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Arsia Mons faults, graben, and pit craters

Posted on July 1, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, July 1, 2019. Today’s VIS image is located on the lower flank of Arsia Mons. The linear features are tectonic faults. The lava flows originating from Arsia Mons are among the youngest on the surface … Continue reading →

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