The Planetary Science Journal Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Astrobiology

Panels (a)–(c) show the seafloor topography given a spectral amplitude of 0.25, 2.5, and 10 km, respectively. Panels (d)–(f) show the corresponding total gravity signal. Panels (g)–(i) show the total gravity signal at the resolution of Europa Clipper, l ≈ 10, when the degree-2 tidal signal is excluded. -- The Planetary Science Journal

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Assessing the Detectability of Europa’s Seafloor Topography from Europa Clipper’s Gravity Data

by Keith CowingNovember 4, 2024November 4, 2024

Due to its size and tidal heating, Europa may potentially possess active volcanism and hydrothermal circulation at its seafloor.

Triton as seen by Voyager 2 (larger image) -- NASA

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Neptune, Status Report, Triton, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Triton’s Captured Youth: Tidal Heating Kept Triton Warm and Active for Billions of Years

by Keith CowingSeptember 25, 2024September 25, 2024

Neptune’s moon Triton has two remarkable attributes: its retrograde orbit suggests that it was captured from the Kuiper Belt, and Triton has one of the youngest surfaces of all the […]

Example target map with labeled target names and corresponding activities from sol 102 tactical planning. MCAM = MastCam; SCAM = SuperCam; AZ = azimuth. -- Planetary Science Journal

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report

Comparing Rover and Helicopter Planetary Mission Architectures

by Keith CowingAugust 18, 2024August 17, 2024

The Rover–Aerial Vehicle Exploration Network project field-tested planetary mission operations within a Mars analog environment in Iceland using stand-alone rover and helicopter architectures.

Simulated reflected light spectrum of modern Earth. Shown here is the reflected light spectrum of modern Earth with coronagraph wavelength channels indicated along the top for the UV (0.2–0.4 μm), the visible (0.4–1.0 μm), and the NIR (1.0–1.8 μm). Individual 20% bandpasses are indicated according to the decision tree strategy, with the 0.75 μm bandpass (0.68–0.81 μm) shown as the dark green shaded region, the 0.89 μm bandpass (0.81–0.97 μm) shown as the green shaded region, and the 1.65 μm bandpass (1.50–1.80 μm) shown as the red shaded region. The Rayleigh scattering slope and absorption features of key species are labeled with text, along with an error-bar scaling for an S/N of 10 relative to 0.68 μm. Note that atmospheric retrievals were performed on individual or a combination of these three bandpasses. -- The Planetary Science Journal

Analog Studies, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Retrievals Applied to a Decision Tree Framework Can Characterize Earthlike Exoplanet Analogs

by Keith CowingJuly 16, 2024July 7, 2024

Exoplanet characterization missions planned for the future will soon enable searches for life beyond our solar system. Critical to the search will be the development of life detection strategies that […]

Examples of Triton's surface morphology, which is dissimilar from the other ice-covered moons in the outer solar system. Extensive smooth planitia (plains) disrupt the cantaloupe terrain. A few small craters are notable in their sparsity. (Image center 23° E, 21° N.) Each panel is a portion of our Triton mosaic, which is in orthographic projection at a scale of 600 m pixel−1. NASA/The Planetary Science Journal

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Cryobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Neptune, Status Report, Triton, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Increasing the Usability and Accessibility of Voyager 2 Images of Triton

by Keith CowingJune 25, 2024June 25, 2024

Much of what we know about Neptune’s moon Triton was inferred from the analysis of images returned by the Voyager 2 mission, the only spacecraft to have visited that putative […]