Mount Sharp Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Astrobiology

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover captured this view of a geological region called the Yardang Unit using its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, on Nov. 2, 2024, the 4,352nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Larger image

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Curiosity Rover Views The Yardang Unit On Mars

by Keith CowingNovember 22, 2024November 22, 2024

This mosaic is made up of 18 images that were stitched together after being sent back to Earth. The color has been adjusted to match lighting conditions as the human […]

[Small portion] NASA’s Curiosity captured this panorama using its Mastcam while heading west away from Gediz Vallis channel on Nov. 2, 2024, the 4,352nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The Mars rover’s tracks across the rocky terrain are visible at right. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Larger image

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs

Mars Rover Curiosity Panorama Of Gediz Vallis Channel

by Keith CowingNovember 19, 2024November 19, 2024

NASA’s Curiosity rover is preparing for the next leg of its journey, a monthslong trek to a formation called the boxwork, a set of weblike patterns on Mars’ surface that […]

These yellow crystals were revealed after NASA’s Curiosity happened to drive over a rock and crack it open on May 30. Using an instrument on the rover’s arm, scientists later determined these crystals are elemental sulfur Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Full Image Details

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Curiosity Astrobiology Rover Discovers Pure Sulfur Crystals On Mars

by Keith CowingJuly 22, 2024July 30, 2024

Among several recent findings, the Mars Curiosity rover has found rocks made of pure sulfur — a first on the Red Planet.

Mastcam mosaic from the sol 1686 rover location looking behind the rover (downslope) at the transition point between the Sutton Island and Blunts Point Murray members. Images from sols 1685–1689 display sedimentary textures of dark-toned Mn-rich sandstones and nearby rocks. Dashed line boxes in the large mosaic are shown as insets along the bottom of figure. Small red outlines show the approximate locations and extent of ChemCam observations (portions of the Remote Micro Imager images of these observations are shown in Figure 3). Throughout this transition area, dark-toned sandstones (presumably Mn-rich based on ChemCam observations at three locations) overlie light-toned materials. Insets from left to right: (a) Denning Brook, a Mn-rich fine-grained dark-toned sandstone ChemCam observation; (b) & (c) two light-toned blocks with cross-stratified textures, highlighted with yellow lines, 6 m away from Denning Brook and to the upper left in the large mosaic; (d) dark-toned materials (center of mosaic); and E1) Newport Ledge, E2) AEGIS post 1685a, E3) Sugarloaf Mountain, three thin planar laminated dark-toned sandstones. NASA/Caltech-JPL/MSSS.

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New Findings Point To An Earth-like Environment On Ancient Mars

by Keith CowingMay 2, 2024May 2, 2024

A research team using the ChemCam instrument onboard NASA’s Curiosity rover discovered higher-than-usual amounts of manganese in lakebed rocks within Gale Crater on Mars, which indicates that the sediments were […]

The steep path NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover took to reach Gediz Vallis channel is indicated in yellow in this visualization made with orbital data. At lower right is the point where the rover veered off to get an up-close look at a ridge formed long ago by debris flows from higher up on Mount Sharp. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UC Berkeley Full Image Details

Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs

Curiosity Rover Searches For New Clues About Mars’ Ancient Water

by Keith CowingMarch 30, 2024March 30, 2024

The rover has arrived at an area that may show evidence liquid water flowed on this part of Mars for much longer than previously thought.

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured this 360-degree panorama using its black-and-white navigation cameras, or Navcams, at a location where it collected a sample from a rock nicknamed “Sequoia.” This panorama was captured on Oct. 21 and 26, 2023, the 3,984th and 3,989th Martian days, or sols, of the mission. Larger image

Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs

Mars Curiosity Passes 4,000 Days Doing Astrobiology And Astrogeology

by Keith CowingNovember 11, 2023November 11, 2023

Four thousand Martian days after setting its wheels in Gale Crater on Aug. 5, 2012, NASA’s Curiosity rover remains busy conducting exciting science. The rover recently drilled its 39th sample […]