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Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter (MGS) of Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from 2004
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Rover Tracks on Mars
| title |
Rover Tracks on Mars |
| description |
New imaging techniques enabled Mars Global Surveyor to capture the incredibly detailed images from orbit of the Spirit Mars Exploration Rover's tracks on the surface of Mars. The orbiter entered its third mission extension in September 2004 after seven years of orbiting Mars. The spacecraft entered Mars orbit on Sept. 12, 1997. *Image Credit*: NASA |
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The Dotted Dunes of Mars
| Title |
The Dotted Dunes of Mars |
| Explanation |
What causes the black dots on dunes on Mars? As spring dawned on the Northern Hemisphere of Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/mars.html ] in 2004, dunes of sand near the poles begin to defrost. Thinner regions of ice typically thaw first revealing sand [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/msss/camera/images/8_10_99_releases/ ] whose darkness soaks in sunlight and accelerates the thaw. The process might involve sandy jets exploding [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060823.html ] through the thinning ice. By summer, the spots [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2004/08/23/index.html ] expanded to encompass the entire dunes [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/msss/camera/images/dune_defrost_6_2001/ ] that were then completely thawed and dark. The carbon dioxide [ http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/CO2/CO2.html ] and water ice actually sublime [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sublimation_%28physics%29 ] in the thin atmosphere [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Mars ] directly to gas. Taken in mid-July, the above image [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06815 ] shows a field of spotted polar dunes spanning about 3 kilometers near the Martian North Pole. Today, the future of Mars rovers [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Rover ] Spirit [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051214.html ] and Opportunity [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040127.html ] remains unknown [ http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20070731a.html ] windy dust storms [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070725.html ] continue to starve them of needed sunlight. |
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Springtime on Mars
| Title |
Springtime on Mars |
| Explanation |
Vast canyons, towering volcanoes, sprawling fields of ice, deep craters, and high clouds can all be seen in this image of the Solar System [ http://www.nineplanets.org/overview.html ]'s fourth planet: Mars [ http://www.nineplanets.org/mars.html ]. The orbiting robot Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/overvu/overview.html ] took the above mosaic of images [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/04/04/may02/index.html ] as springtime dawned [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021224.html ] in Northern Mars in 2002 May. Sprawled across the image bottom is Valles Marinaris [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020827.html ], a canyon three times the length of Earth's Grand Canyon [ http://www.nps.gov/grca/ ], and four times as deep. On the left are several volcanoes including Olympus Mons [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981019.html ], a volcano three times higher than Earth's Mt. Everest [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020723.html ]. At the top is the North Polar Cap [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981216.html ] made of thawing water and carbon-dioxide [ http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/CO2/CO2.html ] based ice. Swirling white clouds [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010417.html ] and circular impact craters [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990315.html ] are also visible around Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010626.html ]. Two rovers [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mer/ ] will be launched to Mars this summer and should arrive in 2004 January. |
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Dust Storm Over Northern Mar
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| Title |
Dust Storm Over Northern Mars |
| Explanation |
Almost on cue [ http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_998_1.asp ], as Mars nears its closest approach to planet Earth in recorded history, ominous seasonal [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/06/28/ index.html ] dust storms are beginning to kick up. Observers [ http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/online.bks/mars/ chap15.htm ] worry that the activity may presage the development of a planet wide dust storm [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011017.html ], frustrating attempts to view Mars in the coming months, a situation similar to the Red Planet's uncooperative behavior [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010727.html ] in 2001. In this example [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/05/28/ index.html ], recorded in mid-May by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft camera, a dust storm the size of a continent sweeps north and east (toward the upper right) across Mars' northern Acidalia Planitia. Meanwhile [ http://humbabe.arc.nasa.gov/mgcm/fun/mars_chro.html ], interplanetary robotic explorers Mars Express [ http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/ index.cfm?fareaid=9 ]/ Beagle 2 [ http://www.beagle2.com/index.htm ], Nozomi [ http://www.isas.ac.jp/e/enterp/missions/nozomi/ index.html ], and the twin Mars Exploration Rovers [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mer/ ] Opportunity and Spirit, are all bound for Mars and should arrive by early January 2004. |
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Right on Target
| Title |
Right on Target |
| Description |
This map shows the estimated location of the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit within Gusev Crater, Mars. Engineers targeted Spirit for the center of the blue ellipse. Measurements taken during the rover's descent by the Deep Space Network predicted its landing site to be the spot marked with a black dot. Later measurements taken on the ground by both the Deep Space Network and the orbiter Mars Odyssey narrowed the predicted landing site to a spot marked with a white dot. When initially choosing a landing site for the rover, engineers avoided hazardous terrain outlined here in yellow and red. This map consists of data from Mars Odyssey and Mars Global Surveyor. |
| Date |
01.13.2004 |
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Right on Target-2
| Title |
Right on Target-2 |
| Description |
This map shows a close-up look at the estimated location of the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit within Gusev Crater, Mars. Measurements taken during the rover's descent by the Deep Space Network predicted its landing site to be the spot marked with a black dot. Later measurements taken on the ground by both the Deep Space Network and the orbiter Mars Odyssey narrowed the predicted landing site to a spot marked with a white dot. When initially choosing a landing site for the rover, engineers avoided hazardous craters outlined here in yellow and red. This map consists of data from Mars Odyssey and Mars Global Surveyor. |
| Date |
01.13.2004 |
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Hills Over Yonder
| Title |
Hills Over Yonder |
| Description |
[figure removed for brevity, see original site]*Click on the image for Hills Over Yonder (QTVR)* The arrows in this 360-degree panoramic view of the martian surface identify hills and craters on the martian horizon that scientists can easily find with orbiters Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey. The image was taken on Mars by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. |
| Date |
01.13.2004 |
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Rover Tracks Seen from Orbit
| title |
Rover Tracks Seen from Orbit |
| Description |
Wheel tracks left by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, and even the rover itself, are visible in this image from the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. North is up in this image. The tracks and rover are in the area south of a crater informally named "Bonneville," which is just southeast of the center of the image. The orbiter captured this image with use of an enhanced-resolution technique called compensated pitch and roll targeted observation. It took the picture on March 30, 2004, 85 martian days, or sols, after Spirit landed on Mars. The rover had driven from its landing site to the rim of Bonneville and was examining materials around the crater's rim. In this portion of the plains inside the much larger Gusev Crater, Spirit created wheel tracks darker than the undisturbed surface, as seen in the rover's own images showing the tracks (for example, http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05450 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05450 ]). The contrast allows the tracks to show up in the image obtained from orbit. Also visible are Spirit's lander, backshell and parachute, and the scar where its heat shield hit the ground. The full image covers an area 3 kilometers (2 miles) wide, at 14.8 degrees south latitude and 184.6 degrees west longitude. Pixel size is about 1.5 meters (5 feet) by one-half meter (1.6 feet). Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. Photo Credit: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems |
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Rolling Stones Make New Boul
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| title |
Rolling Stones Make New Boulder Tracks |
| Description |
When a boulder rolls down a dusty slope, it can leave behind a trail of depressions. Usually known as boulder tracks, these features have been documented and studied on Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Geologists studying the Moon and Mars can use these tracks to learn about the physical properties of the fine-grained debris encountered by the boulder as it rolled down the slope. Because of the high-resolution capability (0.5 to 12 meters, 1.6 to 39 feet, per pixel) of the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, dozens of boulder track sites have been identified on the red planet. A Mars Orbiter Camera image of one set of boulder tracks in a south mid-latitude crater (located near 35.8 degrees south latitude, 158.4 degrees west longitude) was obtained on Nov. 14, 2003, (left). A second image of the same site, from Dec. 4, 2004, (right) shows that more than a dozen new boulder tracks formed on the crater wall during the intervening time. Mars is an active planet, with geologic changes occurring -- at some scale -- every day. In this case, some time between mid November 2003 and early December 2004, a suite of boulders became dislodged from the crater wall, then rolled and perhaps bounced their way to the crater floor. Wider context for the site can be seen in a mosaic of Mars Orbiter Camera wide-angle images acquired in May 1999 (insert MOC2-1213a). The white box indicates the location of the later, higher-resolution views. Why the new boulders slid down the slope is unknown. This is the product of a mass movement (landsliding) process. That is, gravity is the main culprit. Whether the boulder motion was triggered by something -- a seismic event ("Marsquake") or strong winds -- is not known. Also unknown is whether all of the new boulder tracks formed at the same time, in response to a single event, or rolled downhill one at a time over the nearly 13-month period. The Mars Orbiter Camera was built and is operated by Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif. Mars Global Surveyor left Earth on Nov. 7, 1996, and began orbiting Mars on Sept. 12, 1997. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages Mars Global Surveyor for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Credit: NASA/JPL/MSSS |
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| Description |
Browse Image | Medium Image (129 kB) | Large (20.4 MB) Hi-Res (NASA's Planetary Photojournal) [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA08813 ] |
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Fresh Crater
PIA06733
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Fresh Crater |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
30 July 2004 This full-resolution (1.5 meters, 5 feet, per pixel) Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a fairly small, fresh meteor impact crater in far southeastern Arabia Terra. The crater's bowl, rim, and ejecta exhibit numerous boulders. The image covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is located near 6.9°S, 317.1°W. Sunlight illuminates the terrain from the left. |
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Martian Gullies
PIA06304
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Martian Gullies |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
14 June 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a gullied crater wall at 1.5 meters (5 feet) per pixel resolution. The gullies in this case have formed in a thick, smooth-surfaced mantle that covers the crater wall. Formation of these gullies might have involved a fluid such as water, or perhaps could have formed by avalanching of dry debris. The Mars science community is still discussing, debating, and making new observations of martian gullies to better understand their origin and implications. These gullies are located near 33.8°S, 201.6°W. The image covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. |
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Seasonal Trend in Water Vapo
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PIA07102
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Spectromete
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| Title |
Seasonal Trend in Water Vapor Seen from Orbit |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The seasonal trend in the amount of water vapor in Mars' atmosphere, as observed by thermal emission spectrometer on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter, varies by latitude. This plot starts near the beginning of fall in the southern hemisphere for the year before the Mars Exploration Rover mission began and ends on August 30, 2004, slightly more than one martian year later. Purple represents no water while red represents about 50 precipitable micrometers, which is about 10,000 times less than on Earth. The units of time along the horizontal axis are given in longitude of the Sun (Ls) as measured in a Mars-centered coordinate system, a way to reflect the elliptical nature of Mars' orbit. On this scale, Mars is farthest from the Sun at about 74, which also corresponds to late fall in the southern hemisphere. During the period when Mars is farthest from the Sun, the migration of water vapor from the northern polar region combines with lowered atmospheric temperatures to produce conditions that allow formation of clouds such as seen in the image at PIA07105 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07105 ]. Opportunity is further north than Spirit is, so there is a distinct difference in the amount of water vapor available to form water-ice clouds over the two sites. To date, Spirit has not seen any discrete, cirrus-like clouds such as Opportunity has photographed. Although water vapor is expected to reach a maximum abundance for the Opportunity and Spirit sites near spring equinox (Ls 180 or about March 2005), the atmospheric temperatures will very likely have warmed sufficiently to prevent formation of the type of clouds that Opportunity has observed recently. |
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2 Years on Mars! Meridiani P
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PIA03691
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
2 Years on Mars! Meridiani Planum Features Investigated by the Rover, Opportunity |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
24 January 2006 Two years ago, the Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity, landed on Meridiani Planum. The rover marked its first Mars-year (687 Earth Days) anniversary in December 2005. Two pictures are shown here: the one on the right is the same as that on the left, except that key features have been labeled. Both pictures include a colored portion -- a 3-d (stereo) anaglyph which can be viewed using "3-d" glasses with a red left eye and a blue right eye. Figures 2 and 3 are MOC narrow angle non-stereo images. During the landing in January 2004, rockets were fired to slow the final descent, just before the inflated airbags (containing the folded-up lander and rover) were released. The rockets disturbed the sandy surface at the location labeled "blast effects." Following release, the airbags bounced and rolled until coming to rest inside Eagle Crater. The lander, in fact, can be seen as a bright spot near the center of Eagle Crater. Meanwhile, the jettisoned parachute and backshell landed to the southwest of Eagle, and the heatshield fell just southwest of Endurance Crater. Opportunity initially examined sedimentary rock outcrops and sandy, windblown regolith within Eagle Crater. Then it was driven by the rover team out of Eagle and on into Endurance Crater. By the end of 2004, Opportunity had left Endurance and was investigating the site where the heatshield impacted the surface. After that, the rover spent much of the year 2005 driving from the heatshield location down to the shallow Erebus Crater. Long-term plans call for driving Opportunity from Erebus to Victoria Crater, where a substantially thicker sequence of layered rock is expected to be found, relative to previous outcrops examined in the craters Endurance and Eagle. "Location near": 2.0°S, 5.6°W "Image width": 300 m scale bar = 984 ft "Illumination from": left |
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2 Years on Mars! Meridiani P
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PIA03691
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
2 Years on Mars! Meridiani Planum Features Investigated by the Rover, Opportunity |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
24 January 2006 Two years ago, the Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity, landed on Meridiani Planum. The rover marked its first Mars-year (687 Earth Days) anniversary in December 2005. Two pictures are shown here: the one on the right is the same as that on the left, except that key features have been labeled. Both pictures include a colored portion -- a 3-d (stereo) anaglyph which can be viewed using "3-d" glasses with a red left eye and a blue right eye. Figures 2 and 3 are MOC narrow angle non-stereo images. During the landing in January 2004, rockets were fired to slow the final descent, just before the inflated airbags (containing the folded-up lander and rover) were released. The rockets disturbed the sandy surface at the location labeled "blast effects." Following release, the airbags bounced and rolled until coming to rest inside Eagle Crater. The lander, in fact, can be seen as a bright spot near the center of Eagle Crater. Meanwhile, the jettisoned parachute and backshell landed to the southwest of Eagle, and the heatshield fell just southwest of Endurance Crater. Opportunity initially examined sedimentary rock outcrops and sandy, windblown regolith within Eagle Crater. Then it was driven by the rover team out of Eagle and on into Endurance Crater. By the end of 2004, Opportunity had left Endurance and was investigating the site where the heatshield impacted the surface. After that, the rover spent much of the year 2005 driving from the heatshield location down to the shallow Erebus Crater. Long-term plans call for driving Opportunity from Erebus to Victoria Crater, where a substantially thicker sequence of layered rock is expected to be found, relative to previous outcrops examined in the craters Endurance and Eagle. "Location near": 2.0°S, 5.6°W "Image width": 300 m scale bar = 984 ft "Illumination from": left |
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2 Years on Mars! Meridiani P
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PIA03691
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
2 Years on Mars! Meridiani Planum Features Investigated by the Rover, Opportunity |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
24 January 2006 Two years ago, the Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity, landed on Meridiani Planum. The rover marked its first Mars-year (687 Earth Days) anniversary in December 2005. Two pictures are shown here: the one on the right is the same as that on the left, except that key features have been labeled. Both pictures include a colored portion -- a 3-d (stereo) anaglyph which can be viewed using "3-d" glasses with a red left eye and a blue right eye. Figures 2 and 3 are MOC narrow angle non-stereo images. During the landing in January 2004, rockets were fired to slow the final descent, just before the inflated airbags (containing the folded-up lander and rover) were released. The rockets disturbed the sandy surface at the location labeled "blast effects." Following release, the airbags bounced and rolled until coming to rest inside Eagle Crater. The lander, in fact, can be seen as a bright spot near the center of Eagle Crater. Meanwhile, the jettisoned parachute and backshell landed to the southwest of Eagle, and the heatshield fell just southwest of Endurance Crater. Opportunity initially examined sedimentary rock outcrops and sandy, windblown regolith within Eagle Crater. Then it was driven by the rover team out of Eagle and on into Endurance Crater. By the end of 2004, Opportunity had left Endurance and was investigating the site where the heatshield impacted the surface. After that, the rover spent much of the year 2005 driving from the heatshield location down to the shallow Erebus Crater. Long-term plans call for driving Opportunity from Erebus to Victoria Crater, where a substantially thicker sequence of layered rock is expected to be found, relative to previous outcrops examined in the craters Endurance and Eagle. "Location near": 2.0°S, 5.6°W "Image width": 300 m scale bar = 984 ft "Illumination from": left |
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2 Years on Mars! Meridiani P
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PIA03691
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
2 Years on Mars! Meridiani Planum Features Investigated by the Rover, Opportunity |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
24 January 2006 Two years ago, the Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity, landed on Meridiani Planum. The rover marked its first Mars-year (687 Earth Days) anniversary in December 2005. Two pictures are shown here: the one on the right is the same as that on the left, except that key features have been labeled. Both pictures include a colored portion -- a 3-d (stereo) anaglyph which can be viewed using "3-d" glasses with a red left eye and a blue right eye. Figures 2 and 3 are MOC narrow angle non-stereo images. During the landing in January 2004, rockets were fired to slow the final descent, just before the inflated airbags (containing the folded-up lander and rover) were released. The rockets disturbed the sandy surface at the location labeled "blast effects." Following release, the airbags bounced and rolled until coming to rest inside Eagle Crater. The lander, in fact, can be seen as a bright spot near the center of Eagle Crater. Meanwhile, the jettisoned parachute and backshell landed to the southwest of Eagle, and the heatshield fell just southwest of Endurance Crater. Opportunity initially examined sedimentary rock outcrops and sandy, windblown regolith within Eagle Crater. Then it was driven by the rover team out of Eagle and on into Endurance Crater. By the end of 2004, Opportunity had left Endurance and was investigating the site where the heatshield impacted the surface. After that, the rover spent much of the year 2005 driving from the heatshield location down to the shallow Erebus Crater. Long-term plans call for driving Opportunity from Erebus to Victoria Crater, where a substantially thicker sequence of layered rock is expected to be found, relative to previous outcrops examined in the craters Endurance and Eagle. "Location near": 2.0°S, 5.6°W "Image width": 300 m scale bar = 984 ft "Illumination from": left |
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Martian Scribbles
PIA06797
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Martian Scribbles |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
08 August 2004 The martian atmosphere is an artist. It uses narrow vortices of spinning air to disrupt thin coatings of dust on the surface. In some regions, over time, hundreds of dust devils may streak across the landscape, creating patterns like the one shown in this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image. The picture, acquired in February 2004, is located near 64.1°S, 297.3°W, and covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. |
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A Dynamic Spirit Site
PIA05122
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
A Dynamic Spirit Site |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
5 January 2004 Two Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images acquired before the spectacular January 2004 landing of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER-A), Spirit, show the area where the lander is currently believed to have touched down. The identification of the area shown in the two pictures above is based on the pictures acquired by Spirit's descent imaging system just before landing. The lower picture was obtained by MGS MOC on 22 July 2003, the upper picture was acquired less than a month ago on 10 December 2003. What is exciting about these two pictures is the differences in the patterns of dark, squiggly streaks. These streaks are believed to have been caused by the removal of bright dust by large, passing dust devils. Comparison of the picture from July 2003 with that of December 2003 show that a different dark streak pattern developed over a period of less than 5 months. These two MOC images suggest that the landing site is a dynamic, changing place on the time scale of several months. MGS MOC has never seen a dust devil occur in Gusev Crater [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA0PIA05119 ], the location of the Spirit landing site [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA0PIA05120 ]. MGS always flies over Gusev around 2 p.m. local time, so this means that dust devils are not believed to be common around 2 p.m. However, the changes in the dark streaks suggest that dust devils definitely have occurred in Gusev Crater over the past 5 to 6 months, and they most likely occur earlier than 2 p.m. (perhaps closer to local 1 p.m. or noon). These two MOC images are simple cylindrical map projections (rotated somewhat, note the north arrow, N) at a scale of about 3 meters per pixel (~10 ft/pixel), the 300 meter scale bar is about two-tenths of a mile long. The images are located near 14.7°S, 184.6°W, and are illuminated from the left. |
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Cratered Hill in Amazonis
PIA05128
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Cratered Hill in Amazonis |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
11 January 2004 Looking somewhat like a martian moon that has been plunked down into a rough-textured but otherwise flat plain, this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an old, cratered hill was once part of the rim of a meteor impact crater. The crater has been both eroded away and partly filled and buried beneath the rugged plains. The hill is interpreted to be considerably older than the plains, because it has considerably more small meteor craters than the surrounding terrain. This hill is located near 23.0°N, 166.5°W. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left. |
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Locating Landers on Mars
PIA05121
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Locating Landers on Mars |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
4 January 2004 In 2003, a new technique was pioneered by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) experiment to allow the camera to obtain images with better than 1 meter (~ 3 ft) per pixel resolution. By pitching the spacecraft at a rate faster than the spacecraft moves in its orbit around Mars, MOC is able to obtain pictures with a down-track resolution of about 50 cm/pixel (~20 inches/pixel), although the cross-track resolution remains ~1.5 m/pixel (5 ft/pixel). One of the key goals of this image motion compensation (IMC) technique is to be able to image landers, such as the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, on the martian surface. The two pictures shown here were acquired during the IMC testing in 2003. The first shows the location of the Mars Pathfinder lander (MPF) and the nearby boulder, Yogi. The second image shows the location of the Viking 1 (VL-1) lander. These locations were determined by using sight lines from the landers to near and far objects seen in the pictures acquired by the landers, and then matching these to locations in earlier, 1.5 to 3.0 m/pixel MOC images. Then, the IMC images, shown here, were acquired by MGS so that the actual landers, sitting on the martian surface, might be resolved. This technique only works well when the location of the lander is already fairly-well established. It would be extremely difficult to find a lander for which the location is uncertain, such as Viking 2 or Mars Polar Lander (in fact, for Mars Polar Lander, it would take over 60 years to map out the entire landing ellipse in which the spacecraft was lost). The two images shown here are illuminated from the left and show areas only a few hundred meters across. More information about how MGS MOC will be used to help locate the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, can be found by visiting: Finding MERs [ http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/finding_mer/ ]. |
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Galle Crater Dunes
PIA05123
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Galle Crater Dunes |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
6 January 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows sand dunes in southern Galle Crater, east of Argyre Planitia. The sand that comprises these dunes, like other dunes on Mars, is dark, but at the time this picture was acquired during early southern summer, the dunes were covered with a coating of bright dust. Occasional, passing dust devils or wind gusts created the dark streaks seen on a few of the dunes. The dunes are located near 51.9°S, 31.2°W. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide, sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. |
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South Polar Troughs
PIA05186
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
South Polar Troughs |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
13 January 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows troughs eroded into the south polar residual cap. The residual cap is made largely of frozen carbon dioxide, which freezes on Mars at a temperature around 148 Kelvin (about -125°C, -193°F). When this picture was acquired in early summer during October 2003, the temperature at the surface probably was very close to 148 Kelvin (brrrr!). Sunlight illuminates this image from the upper left, it is located near 86.9°S, 15.7°W. The 200 meter scale bar is approximately 656 feet across. |
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Hematite Deposits at Opportu
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PIA05153
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Hematite Deposits at Opportunity Landing Site |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This vertical cross-section of the Meridiani Planum region shows that the hematite-bearing plains are part of an extensive set of deposits on top of the ancient, heavily cratered terrain. The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is targeted to land here on January 24, 2004 Pacific Standard Time. The background surface image of Meridiani Planum was acquired by the Mars Orbital Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor. On Earth, grey hematite is an iron oxide mineral that typically forms in the presence of liquid water. The rover Opportunity will study the martian terrain and examine the hematite deposits to determine whether liquid water was present in the past when rocks were being formed. |
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Mars Exploration Rover (MER-
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PIA05120
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Mars Exploration Rover (MER-A) Spirit Landing Site |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
January 2004 Excitement builds as the first Mars Exploration Rover (MER-A), Spirit, prepares to land on Mars just after 8:35 p.m. Pacific Standard Time today, 3 January 2004 (04:35, 4 January 2004 UTC). Today's Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture is a mosaic of MOC images of the Spirit landing site. The rover is expected to land somewhere within the approximately 83 km (~52 mi) long by ~10 km (~6 mi) wide ellipse on the floor of Gusev Crater [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05119 ]. Clicking on the image above will show a map of the landing site at 25 meters (82 feet) per pixel. MOC has acquired 71 pictures of the landing site over a period spanning 3 Mars years (from July 1999 through December 2003), and more than 85 pictures were acquired within Gusev Crater specifically to support the Mars Exploration Rover landing site selection process. These pictures were acquired not only in different years, but in different seasons, so the illumination angle, overall brightness, and patterns of ephemeral, dark dust devil streaks and wind streaks are different from image to image within the mosaic. In areas where no MOC coverage exists, gaps were filled using images from the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) visible imager, a lower-resolution camera built by Malin Space Science Systems and operated by Arizona State University. The Gusev Crater landing ellipse is centered near 14.8°S, 184.8°W. Sunlight illuminates each image in the mosaic from the left (in some cases, upper left, in others, lower left). Spirit will land at about 2 p.m. local time on Mars. At the same time, Mars Global Surveyor will pass over the site and listen for a transmission of Spirit's entry, descent, and landing data. These data will be relayed back to Earth by the MOC. For more information about the Mars Exploration Rovers, visit NASA/JPL's Mars Exploration Program Web site [ http://marsweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]. For more information about the work that Malin Space Science Systems and MGS MOC are doing in support of the rover missions, see: http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/ [ http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/ ]. For information about how MSSS will use this mosaic of the landing site to help find Spirit after it touches down, see Finding MERs [ http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/finding_mer/ ]. |
|
Gusev Crater
PIA05119
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Gusev Crater |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
2 January 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle image shows the crater in which the Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit, is scheduled to land on 4 January 2004 (around 8:35 p.m., 3 January 2004, Pacific Standard Time). The white ellipse marks the approximate location of Spirit's landing zone. Gusev Crater is about 165 km (103 mi) across. The valley that enters Gusev from the south-southeast (bottom/lower right) is named Ma'adim Vallis. The dark areas on the floor of Gusev, when viewed at higher resolution, are found to be surfaces from which dust devils and wind gusts have removed or disrupted the fine, bright dust that otherwise blankets the crater floor. This image, acquired in November 2003, is located near 14.5°S, 184.6°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left. |
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White Rock" of Pollack Crate
…
PIA05118
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
White Rock" of Pollack Crater |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
1 January 2004 The famous "White Rock" of Pollack Crater has been known for three decades, it was originally found in images acquired by the Mariner 9 spacecraft in 1972. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) close-up view, obtained in October 2003, shows some of the light-toned, wind-eroded sedimentary rock that makes up "White Rock." It is not actually white, except when viewed in a processed, grayscale image (in color, it is more of a light butterscotch to pinkish material). The sediment that comprises "White Rock" was deposited in Pollack Crater a long time ago, perhaps billions of years ago, the material was later eroded by wind. Dark, windblown ripples are present throughout the scene. This picture is located near 8.2°S, 335.1°W, and covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left. |
|
Layers Near South Crater
PIA05245
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Layers Near South Crater |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
20 January 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows layer outcrops near the rim of South Crater, in the south polar region of Mars. These ancient layered materials surround an even older knob--the rounded feature at right/center. This picture is located near 78.0°S, 336.0°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. |
|
Pavonis Mons
PIA05243
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Pavonis Mons |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
18 January 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle color composite image, obtained in December 2003, shows the middle of the three Tharsis Montes, Pavonis Mons. This is a broad shield volcano--similar to the volcanoes of Hawaii--located on the martian equator at 113°W. The volcano summit is near 14 km (~8.7 mi) above the martian datum (0 elevation), the central caldera (crater near center of image) is about 45 km (~28 mi.) across and about 4.5 km (~2.8 mi.) deep. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left. |
|
Opportunity Site: Before and
…
PIA05295
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Opportunity Site: Before and After |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
13 February 2004 This pair of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) narrow angle images shows the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER-B), Opportunity, before and after the landing. The first image was acquired on 24 August 2003, five months prior to the 25 January 2004 landing. The second picture, obtained on 1 February 2004, shows the lander--located within a ~20 meter (~66 feet) diameter crater--and other features that resulted from the landing. The Opportunity landing site is located in Meridiani Planum near 2.0°S, 5.6°W. Both images are simple cylindrical map projections with north up and east to the right, the lower image is about 1.4 kilometers (0.9 miles) wide. The dark area on the right side of the upper picture was not imaged by MOC until after the landing. Sunlight illuminates each scene from the lower left. |
|
Dune and Dust Devil Tracks
PIA05259
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Dune and Dust Devil Tracks |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
31 January 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a dark sand dune patch that occurs on the floor of a southern hemisphere crater near 64.1°S, 197.2°W. Passing dust devils have disrupted the fine, bright dust that coats the surrounding terrain, leaving wildly-varied streak patterns. Dark dots to the left (west) of the dune are boulders. The picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide, sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. |
|
Tractus Fossae Pit Chain
PIA05257
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Tractus Fossae Pit Chain |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
29 January 2004 This January 2004 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a chain of pits formed in a trough of the Tractus Fossae region near 24.1°N, 103.4°W. The troughs are graben, which are formed by faults cutting rock as the crust is stretched and extended, in this case toward the east and toward the west (right and left). As the rocks broke and moved along the fault lines that create the sharp cliffs on either side of the troughs, some materials between the trough walls collapsed along the fault trend to form the chain of pits. The picture covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) wide, sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left. |
|
Layered Remnant
PIA05255
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Layered Remnant |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
28 January 2004 This southern summer Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a remnant of layered sedimentary material that was once much more extensive, covering a vast intercrater area near 69.1°S, 207.5°W. These layers have been protected from being completely removed by erosion, in part, because of the ancient meteor impact crater located at the lower left. The dark lines that squiggle and streak across this scene were most likely formed by passing dust devils that disrupted or removed some of the thin layer of dust coating this terrain. The picture covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) wide, sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. |
|
Becquerel Beckons
PIA05297
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Becquerel Beckons |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
15 February 2004 Calling out across millions of miles of space, the compelling dark sand dunes and light-toned sedimentary rock outcrops of Becquerel Crater and dozens of other layered rock sites on Mars beg for further scientific investigation. Layered rocks record the history of a place, the younger layers are above the older ones. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows some of the dunes and layered rocks in Becquerel, a ~170 km (~106 mi) wide crater in western Arabia Terra. Wind has blown the dunes toward the southwest (lower left). The image is located near 21.5°N, 8.6°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left, the image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. |
|
Defrosting South Polar Sand
PIA05262
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Defrosting South Polar Sand |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
2 February 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image provides a springtime view of defrosting processes on a surface that in summer would be a dark patch of sand. In winter, the sand is covered by frost (carbon dioxide and possibly water ice, as well). In spring, the sand develops a spotted pattern as the frosts sublime away. The sand patch is part of a dune field in Jeans Crater, located in the south polar region near 69.8°S, 206.6°W. The picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide, sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. |
|
Summer South Polar Cap
PIA05253
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Summer South Polar Cap |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
26 January 2004 This January 2004 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows what the martian south polar residual cap looks like in the middle of summer. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the top/upper left. The picture shows mesas composed of frozen carbon dioxide, each about 2-5 meters (6-16 ft.) high. Sunlight has darkened the slopes around the mesas as carbon dioxide sublimes away throughout the summer. The image is located near 86.2°S, 351.4°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi.) wide. |
|
South Polar Scene
PIA05279
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
South Polar Scene |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
5 February 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of the south polar residual cap. Sunlight illuminates this scene from the upper left, thus the somewhat kidney bean-shaped features are pits, not mounds. These pits and their neighboring polygonal cracks are formed in a material composed mostly of carbon dioxide ice. The image is located near 87.0°S, 5.7°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. |
|
Exhuming South Polar Crater
PIA05281
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Exhuming South Polar Crater |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
7 February 2004 The large, circular feature in this image is an old meteor impact crater. The crater is larger than the 3 kilometers-wide (1.9 miles-wide) Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image, thus only part of the crater is seen. The bright mesas full of pits and holes--in some areas resembling swiss cheese--are composed of frozen carbon dioxide. In this summertime view, the mesa slopes and pit walls are darkened as sunlight causes some of the ice to sublime away. At one time in the past, the crater shown here may have been completely covered with carbon dioxide ice, but, over time, it has been exhumed as the ice sublimes a little bit more each summer. The crater is located near 86.8°S, 111.6°W. Sunlight illuminates this scene from the upper left. |
|
Sedimentary Rocks of Aram Ch
…
PIA05264
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Sedimentary Rocks of Aram Chaos |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
4 February 2004 Aram Chaos is a large meteor impact crater that was nearly filled with sediment. Over time, this sediment was hardened to form sedimentary rock. Today, much of the eastern half of the crater has exposures of light-toned sedimentary rock, such as the outcrops shown in this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image. The picture is located near 2.0°N, 20.3°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the left. |
|
Third MOC View of Opportunit
…
PIA05299
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Third MOC View of Opportunity Landing Site |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
17 February 2004 Around 19:03 UTC on 15 February 2004, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft flew almost directly over the Mars Exploration Rover (MER-B), Opportunity, landing site. The MGS Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) team decided, therefore, to take MOC's third picture of the lander. Unlike the previous two images, this attempt did not require rolling the spacecraft to hit the target. The image shows the location of the lander in its small impact crater, it also shows the locations of the parachute/backshell and the area disturbed by landing rockets and the first bounce. The heat shield impact site was too far east for the camera to view. The Opportunity landing site is near 2.0°S, 5.6°W in Meridiani Planum. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the left. The 150 meter scale bar is about 164 yards long. The image is not map-projected, north is toward the top/upper right. |
|
Daedalia Wind Streak
PIA05246
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Daedalia Wind Streak |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
21 January 2004 This January 2004 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a dark wind streak in the lee of a small meteor impact crater in Daedalia Planum. The dominant winds responsible for this streak blew from the east (right). This picture is located near 17.1°S, 138.8°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the left. |
|
Mars Exploration Rover (MER-
…
PIA05251
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Mars Exploration Rover (MER-B) Opportunity Landing Site |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
1, Viking 2, Mars Pathfinder, and Spirit sites. Sunlight illuminates the wide and narrow angle views, and each image in the mosaic, from the left. The THEMIS instrument is operated by a team at Arizona State University, [ http://themis.asu.edu/ ] the THEMIS-VIS camera was built by Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS), [ http://www.msss.com/press_releases/vismoc/ ] which also operates the MGS MOC. Opportunity will land in the mid-afternoon, local time, on Mars. At the same time, Mars Global Surveyor will pass over the site and listen for a transmission of Opportunity's entry, descent, and landing data. These data will be relayed back to Earth by the MOC. For more information about the Mars Exploration Rovers, visit NASA/JPL's Mars Exploration Program Web site. [ http://marsweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] For more information about the work that Malin Space Science Systems and MGS MOC are doing in support of the rover missions, see: http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/ [ http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/ ]. For information about how MSSS will use this mosaic of the landing site to help find Opportunity after it touches down, see Finding MERs [ http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/finding_mer/ ]. MER landing site weather reports are located at: http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/mer_weather/. [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/mer_weather/ ], Mosaic (Click on image for larger view) Wide Angle View (Click on image for larger view), Narrow Angle View (Click on image for larger view) 24 January 2004 The second Mars Exploration Rover (MER-B), Opportunity, is set to land on Mars around 9:05 p.m. Pacific Standard Time today, 24 January 2004 (25 January 2004 UTC). Above are shown three perspectives on the Opportunity landing site, which is an ellipse in Meridiani Planum approximately 87 km (54 mi) long by 11 km (6.8 mi) wide. All images are oriented with north up and east to the right. The lander will be coming through the atmosphere from the west/southwest, roughly following the long axis of the ellipse. It is most likely to touch down somewhere near the center of the ellipse. The first image (top) is a mosaic of MGS MOC and Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System visible images (THEMIS-VIS). The THEMIS-VIS instrument provides pictures with a spatial resolution of 18 meters per pixel (~59 ft/pixel), the MOC images used in the mosaic have resolutions ranging from 1.4 m/pixel to 12 m/pixel. A total of 15 THEMIS-VIS images were used to form the background, on which 61 MOC high resolution images were mosaiced. These data were acquired over a period spanning parts of 3 Mars years between April 1999 through January 2004. These pictures were acquired not only in different years, but in different seasons, so the illumination angle, overall brightness, and patterns of ephemeral windblown dust and, in some cases, dark dust devil streaks, are different from image to image within the mosaic. The second image (middle) is a Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) red wide angle view obtained in November 2003 as part of an on-going effort to monitor the weather at the landing site. The wide angle view provides a sense of the regional context. The third image (bottom) is a 1.8 m/pixel (6 ft/pixel) view near the center of the landing ellipse. It was also acquired by MOC in November 2003, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. The light-toned, somewhat circular features are believed to be either the location of ancient, buried, nearly-filled meteor impact craters or the eroded remains of craters that formed in bedrock that has long since been removed from the region. The Opportunity landing site in Meridiani Planum was selected to provide access, it is hoped, to materials bearing the iron oxide mineral, hematite. Hematite was detected in this region by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) on MGS. This mineral is suspected of providing a clue that liquid water may have once played a role in the region. The dark-toned materials of Meridiani Planum cover a lighter-toned substrate that may consist of layered rock. Small ridges have formed in the dark material in some parts of the landing ellipse, but no one will know until the first images are returned, exactly what features will be present at the Opportunity site. One thing is certain: no previous Mars lander has ever gone to a setting like Meridiani Planum. The landscape is almost certain to be different than the Viking |
|
Mars Exploration Rover (MER-
…
PIA05251
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Mars Exploration Rover (MER-B) Opportunity Landing Site |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
1, Viking 2, Mars Pathfinder, and Spirit sites. Sunlight illuminates the wide and narrow angle views, and each image in the mosaic, from the left. The THEMIS instrument is operated by a team at Arizona State University, [ http://themis.asu.edu/ ] the THEMIS-VIS camera was built by Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS), [ http://www.msss.com/press_releases/vismoc/ ] which also operates the MGS MOC. Opportunity will land in the mid-afternoon, local time, on Mars. At the same time, Mars Global Surveyor will pass over the site and listen for a transmission of Opportunity's entry, descent, and landing data. These data will be relayed back to Earth by the MOC. For more information about the Mars Exploration Rovers, visit NASA/JPL's Mars Exploration Program Web site. [ http://marsweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] For more information about the work that Malin Space Science Systems and MGS MOC are doing in support of the rover missions, see: http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/ [ http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/ ]. For information about how MSSS will use this mosaic of the landing site to help find Opportunity after it touches down, see Finding MERs [ http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/finding_mer/ ]. MER landing site weather reports are located at: http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/mer_weather/. [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/mer_weather/ ], Mosaic (Click on image for larger view) Wide Angle View (Click on image for larger view), Narrow Angle View (Click on image for larger view) 24 January 2004 The second Mars Exploration Rover (MER-B), Opportunity, is set to land on Mars around 9:05 p.m. Pacific Standard Time today, 24 January 2004 (25 January 2004 UTC). Above are shown three perspectives on the Opportunity landing site, which is an ellipse in Meridiani Planum approximately 87 km (54 mi) long by 11 km (6.8 mi) wide. All images are oriented with north up and east to the right. The lander will be coming through the atmosphere from the west/southwest, roughly following the long axis of the ellipse. It is most likely to touch down somewhere near the center of the ellipse. The first image (top) is a mosaic of MGS MOC and Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System visible images (THEMIS-VIS). The THEMIS-VIS instrument provides pictures with a spatial resolution of 18 meters per pixel (~59 ft/pixel), the MOC images used in the mosaic have resolutions ranging from 1.4 m/pixel to 12 m/pixel. A total of 15 THEMIS-VIS images were used to form the background, on which 61 MOC high resolution images were mosaiced. These data were acquired over a period spanning parts of 3 Mars years between April 1999 through January 2004. These pictures were acquired not only in different years, but in different seasons, so the illumination angle, overall brightness, and patterns of ephemeral windblown dust and, in some cases, dark dust devil streaks, are different from image to image within the mosaic. The second image (middle) is a Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) red wide angle view obtained in November 2003 as part of an on-going effort to monitor the weather at the landing site. The wide angle view provides a sense of the regional context. The third image (bottom) is a 1.8 m/pixel (6 ft/pixel) view near the center of the landing ellipse. It was also acquired by MOC in November 2003, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. The light-toned, somewhat circular features are believed to be either the location of ancient, buried, nearly-filled meteor impact craters or the eroded remains of craters that formed in bedrock that has long since been removed from the region. The Opportunity landing site in Meridiani Planum was selected to provide access, it is hoped, to materials bearing the iron oxide mineral, hematite. Hematite was detected in this region by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) on MGS. This mineral is suspected of providing a clue that liquid water may have once played a role in the region. The dark-toned materials of Meridiani Planum cover a lighter-toned substrate that may consist of layered rock. Small ridges have formed in the dark material in some parts of the landing ellipse, but no one will know until the first images are returned, exactly what features will be present at the Opportunity site. One thing is certain: no previous Mars lander has ever gone to a setting like Meridiani Planum. The landscape is almost certain to be different than the Viking |
|
Mars Exploration Rover (MER-
…
PIA05251
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Mars Exploration Rover (MER-B) Opportunity Landing Site |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
1, Viking 2, Mars Pathfinder, and Spirit sites. Sunlight illuminates the wide and narrow angle views, and each image in the mosaic, from the left. The THEMIS instrument is operated by a team at Arizona State University, [ http://themis.asu.edu/ ] the THEMIS-VIS camera was built by Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS), [ http://www.msss.com/press_releases/vismoc/ ] which also operates the MGS MOC. Opportunity will land in the mid-afternoon, local time, on Mars. At the same time, Mars Global Surveyor will pass over the site and listen for a transmission of Opportunity's entry, descent, and landing data. These data will be relayed back to Earth by the MOC. For more information about the Mars Exploration Rovers, visit NASA/JPL's Mars Exploration Program Web site. [ http://marsweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] For more information about the work that Malin Space Science Systems and MGS MOC are doing in support of the rover missions, see: http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/ [ http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/ ]. For information about how MSSS will use this mosaic of the landing site to help find Opportunity after it touches down, see Finding MERs [ http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/finding_mer/ ]. MER landing site weather reports are located at: http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/mer_weather/. [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/mer_weather/ ], Mosaic (Click on image for larger view) Wide Angle View (Click on image for larger view), Narrow Angle View (Click on image for larger view) 24 January 2004 The second Mars Exploration Rover (MER-B), Opportunity, is set to land on Mars around 9:05 p.m. Pacific Standard Time today, 24 January 2004 (25 January 2004 UTC). Above are shown three perspectives on the Opportunity landing site, which is an ellipse in Meridiani Planum approximately 87 km (54 mi) long by 11 km (6.8 mi) wide. All images are oriented with north up and east to the right. The lander will be coming through the atmosphere from the west/southwest, roughly following the long axis of the ellipse. It is most likely to touch down somewhere near the center of the ellipse. The first image (top) is a mosaic of MGS MOC and Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System visible images (THEMIS-VIS). The THEMIS-VIS instrument provides pictures with a spatial resolution of 18 meters per pixel (~59 ft/pixel), the MOC images used in the mosaic have resolutions ranging from 1.4 m/pixel to 12 m/pixel. A total of 15 THEMIS-VIS images were used to form the background, on which 61 MOC high resolution images were mosaiced. These data were acquired over a period spanning parts of 3 Mars years between April 1999 through January 2004. These pictures were acquired not only in different years, but in different seasons, so the illumination angle, overall brightness, and patterns of ephemeral windblown dust and, in some cases, dark dust devil streaks, are different from image to image within the mosaic. The second image (middle) is a Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) red wide angle view obtained in November 2003 as part of an on-going effort to monitor the weather at the landing site. The wide angle view provides a sense of the regional context. The third image (bottom) is a 1.8 m/pixel (6 ft/pixel) view near the center of the landing ellipse. It was also acquired by MOC in November 2003, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. The light-toned, somewhat circular features are believed to be either the location of ancient, buried, nearly-filled meteor impact craters or the eroded remains of craters that formed in bedrock that has long since been removed from the region. The Opportunity landing site in Meridiani Planum was selected to provide access, it is hoped, to materials bearing the iron oxide mineral, hematite. Hematite was detected in this region by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) on MGS. This mineral is suspected of providing a clue that liquid water may have once played a role in the region. The dark-toned materials of Meridiani Planum cover a lighter-toned substrate that may consist of layered rock. Small ridges have formed in the dark material in some parts of the landing ellipse, but no one will know until the first images are returned, exactly what features will be present at the Opportunity site. One thing is certain: no previous Mars lander has ever gone to a setting like Meridiani Planum. The landscape is almost certain to be different than the Viking |
|
Mars Exploration Rover (MER-
…
PIA05251
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Mars Exploration Rover (MER-B) Opportunity Landing Site |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
1, Viking 2, Mars Pathfinder, and Spirit sites. Sunlight illuminates the wide and narrow angle views, and each image in the mosaic, from the left. The THEMIS instrument is operated by a team at Arizona State University, [ http://themis.asu.edu/ ] the THEMIS-VIS camera was built by Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS), [ http://www.msss.com/press_releases/vismoc/ ] which also operates the MGS MOC. Opportunity will land in the mid-afternoon, local time, on Mars. At the same time, Mars Global Surveyor will pass over the site and listen for a transmission of Opportunity's entry, descent, and landing data. These data will be relayed back to Earth by the MOC. For more information about the Mars Exploration Rovers, visit NASA/JPL's Mars Exploration Program Web site. [ http://marsweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] For more information about the work that Malin Space Science Systems and MGS MOC are doing in support of the rover missions, see: http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/ [ http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/ ]. For information about how MSSS will use this mosaic of the landing site to help find Opportunity after it touches down, see Finding MERs [ http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/finding_mer/ ]. MER landing site weather reports are located at: http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/mer_weather/. [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/mer_weather/ ], Mosaic (Click on image for larger view) Wide Angle View (Click on image for larger view), Narrow Angle View (Click on image for larger view) 24 January 2004 The second Mars Exploration Rover (MER-B), Opportunity, is set to land on Mars around 9:05 p.m. Pacific Standard Time today, 24 January 2004 (25 January 2004 UTC). Above are shown three perspectives on the Opportunity landing site, which is an ellipse in Meridiani Planum approximately 87 km (54 mi) long by 11 km (6.8 mi) wide. All images are oriented with north up and east to the right. The lander will be coming through the atmosphere from the west/southwest, roughly following the long axis of the ellipse. It is most likely to touch down somewhere near the center of the ellipse. The first image (top) is a mosaic of MGS MOC and Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System visible images (THEMIS-VIS). The THEMIS-VIS instrument provides pictures with a spatial resolution of 18 meters per pixel (~59 ft/pixel), the MOC images used in the mosaic have resolutions ranging from 1.4 m/pixel to 12 m/pixel. A total of 15 THEMIS-VIS images were used to form the background, on which 61 MOC high resolution images were mosaiced. These data were acquired over a period spanning parts of 3 Mars years between April 1999 through January 2004. These pictures were acquired not only in different years, but in different seasons, so the illumination angle, overall brightness, and patterns of ephemeral windblown dust and, in some cases, dark dust devil streaks, are different from image to image within the mosaic. The second image (middle) is a Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) red wide angle view obtained in November 2003 as part of an on-going effort to monitor the weather at the landing site. The wide angle view provides a sense of the regional context. The third image (bottom) is a 1.8 m/pixel (6 ft/pixel) view near the center of the landing ellipse. It was also acquired by MOC in November 2003, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. The light-toned, somewhat circular features are believed to be either the location of ancient, buried, nearly-filled meteor impact craters or the eroded remains of craters that formed in bedrock that has long since been removed from the region. The Opportunity landing site in Meridiani Planum was selected to provide access, it is hoped, to materials bearing the iron oxide mineral, hematite. Hematite was detected in this region by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) on MGS. This mineral is suspected of providing a clue that liquid water may have once played a role in the region. The dark-toned materials of Meridiani Planum cover a lighter-toned substrate that may consist of layered rock. Small ridges have formed in the dark material in some parts of the landing ellipse, but no one will know until the first images are returned, exactly what features will be present at the Opportunity site. One thing is certain: no previous Mars lander has ever gone to a setting like Meridiani Planum. The landscape is almost certain to be different than the Viking |
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Sedimentary Rocks in Ladon V
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PIA05252
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Sedimentary Rocks in Ladon Vallis |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
25 January 2004 This is a Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture of an outcrop of light-toned, layered, sedimentary rock exposed by erosion in Ladon Vallis. These rocks preserve clues to the martian past. However, like books in a library, one needs to go there and check them out if one wishes to read what the layers have to say. This November 2003 picture is located near 21.1°S, 29.8°W, and covers an area 3km (1.9 mi.) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the left. |
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Layers in Crater Wall
PIA05247
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Layers in Crater Wall |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
22 January 2004 This January 2004 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows three distinct bands of layered material exposed in the wall of a south, middle-latitude meteor impact crater wall. Talus--debris shed from erosion of the wall--has piled up on the slopes below the layered outcrop. This picture is located near 45.5°S, 85.9°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the right/lower right. |
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Wind-Streaked Slopes
PIA05280
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Wind-Streaked Slopes |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
6 February 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows very heavily wind-streaked slopes in an area near southern Claritas Fossae. Wind rushing down slopes toward the lower left has moved fine sediment to create these patterns. This is located near 25.3°S, 109.7°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left. |
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Gullied Crater Wall
PIA05316
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Gullied Crater Wall |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
18 February 2004 Many craters and troughs at middle latitudes on Mars have gullies carved into their slopes. These gullies often have banked or even meandering channels that indicate a fluid with the properties of water may have been involved. Indeed, it is possible that such gullies indicate places where liquid water seeped out to the martian surface, or formed from melting ice, in the not-too-distant past. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an example located in a crater in Terra Cimmeria near 37.7°S, 191.6°W. The picture was acquired only a few months ago in November 2003. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the left/upper left, the picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. |
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Wind vs. Dust Devil Streaks
PIA05341
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Wind vs. Dust Devil Streaks |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
22 February 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image presents a fine illustration of the difference between streaks made by dust devils and streaks made by wind gusts. Dust devils are usually solitary, spinning vortices. They resemble a tornado, or the swirling motion of a familiar, Tasmanian cartoon character. Wind gusts, on the other hand, can cover a larger area and affect more terrain at the same time. The dark, straight, and parallel features resembling scrape marks near the right/center of this image are thought to have been formed by a singular gust of wind, whereas the more haphazard dark streaks that crisscross the scene were formed by dozens of individual dust devils, acting at different times. This southern summer image is located in Noachis Terra near 67.0°S, 316.2°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left, the picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. |
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