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Nashville Four Planet Skylin
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| Title |
Nashville Four Planet Skyline |
| Explanation |
So far this February, evening skies [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000504.html ] have been blessed with a glorious Moon and three bright planets, Venus [ http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/rp/poems/ longfe10.html ], Jupiter, and Saturn. But just last week, on January 30th, an extreme wide-angle lens allowed astrophotographer Larry Koehn to capture this twilight view of Moon and four planets above [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/ see.html ] Nashville, Tennessee, USA. These major solar system [ http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] bodies lie along the ecliptic plane [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001014.html ] and so follow a diagonal line through the picture. Starting near the upper left corner is bright Jupiter [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/ solar_system_level2/jupiter.html ], which takes on a slightly triangular shape due to the lens distortion. Just below and right of Jupiter is Saturn [ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/english/kids/ saturn_in_sky.html ]. Continuing along the diagonal toward the lower right is an overexposed, six day old Moon [ http://www.inconstantmoon.com/ ] and brilliant Venus seemingly embedded in clouds. The fourth planet pictured is Mercury. Notoriously hard to see from planet Earth because it never wanders far from the Sun, Mercury is [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991111.html ] visible just above the lower right corner. The line from Jupiter to Mercury spans about 92 degrees across the Nashville sky. |
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Moon, Mars, Venus, and Spica
| Title |
Moon, Mars, Venus, and Spica |
| Explanation |
Gliding toward today's total eclipse [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/ eclipse/TSE2002/TSE2002.html ] of the Sun, the crescent Moon has been rising early, just before dawn. And as a prelude to its close solar alignment [ http://www.mreclipse.com/ Special/SEprimer.html ], the Moon also completed a lovely celestial triangle, closing with bright planets Mars and Venus [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020524.html ] on the morning of December 1. While [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021203.html ] the total solar eclipse can only [ http://profjohn.com/el/el2002/index.html ] be seen [ http://www.csiro.au/helix/eclipse/ ] from a [ http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/solar_eclipse_2002/ ] narrow corridor, skygazers around the globe could appreciate this [ http://www.spaceweather.com/planets/ gallery_01dec02.html ] lunar-planetary conjunction. This view is from near Nashville Tennessee, USA, and finds brilliant Venus at the lowest corner of the triangle with a much fainter Mars immediately to the right of the Moon. The Moon's sunlit crescent is overexposed, but details of the lunar night side are revealed by earthshine [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020419.html ]. Above and to the right of the trio is Spica [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ hr/5056.html ], brightest star in the constellation Virgo. |
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A Sun Halo Over Tennessee
| Title |
A Sun Halo Over Tennessee |
| Explanation |
Sometimes it looks like the Sun is being viewed through a large lens [ http://www.opticalres.com/kidoptx.html ]. In the above case, however, there are actually millions of lenses: ice crystals [ http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/halo/crystals.htm ]. As water freezes in the upper atmosphere [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/earth/atmosphere.html ], small, flat, six-sided, ice crystals might be formed. As these crystals [ http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/primer/primer.htm ] flutter to the ground, each crystal [ http://cst-www.nrl.navy.mil/lattice/ ] can act like a miniature lens, refracting sunlight into our view. The above image [ http://www.vydor.net/gallery/Nature/vydor_sun_halo_shrunk ] was taken near sunset last month near Nashville, Tennessee [ http://www.state.tn.us/ ], USA [ http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html ]. Dramatically visible [ http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/atmos/halo.html ] behind neighborhood houses and trees and above the cloud deck is the 22 degree halo [ http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/atmos/halo22.html ] created by sunlight refracting [ http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/halo/spole.htm ] off of atmospheric ice crystals. |
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Hurricane Katrina as Observe
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PIA04178
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1: click on image for larger AIRS microwave image At 1:30 a.m. local time this morning, the remnants of (now Tropical Depression) Katrina were centered on the Mississippi-Tennessee border. This microwave image from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument on NASA's Aqua spacecrat shows that the area of most intense precipitation was concentrated to the north of the center of activity. The infrared image shows how the storms look through an AIRS Infrared window channel. Window channels measure the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the hurricane. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color indicates the cool cloud tops of the storm. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Cooler areas are pushing to purple and warmer areas are pushing to red. The microwave image (figure 1) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in the hurricane is taking place. The blue areas within the storm show the location of this heavy precipitation. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are moderate or no clouds are where the cold (in the microwave sense) sea surface shines through. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Hurricane Katrina as Observe
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PIA04178
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1: click on image for larger AIRS microwave image At 1:30 a.m. local time this morning, the remnants of (now Tropical Depression) Katrina were centered on the Mississippi-Tennessee border. This microwave image from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument on NASA's Aqua spacecrat shows that the area of most intense precipitation was concentrated to the north of the center of activity. The infrared image shows how the storms look through an AIRS Infrared window channel. Window channels measure the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the hurricane. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color indicates the cool cloud tops of the storm. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Cooler areas are pushing to purple and warmer areas are pushing to red. The microwave image (figure 1) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in the hurricane is taking place. The blue areas within the storm show the location of this heavy precipitation. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are moderate or no clouds are where the cold (in the microwave sense) sea surface shines through. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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A Hole in 'Tennessee'
PIA06287
Sol (our sun)
Microscopic Imager
| Title |
A Hole in 'Tennessee' |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took the images that make up this mosaic with its microscopic imager on sol 139 (June 14, 2004). The target is a rock called "Tennessee," which was drilled into by the rover's rock abrasion tool. This particular grind is the deepest performed so far during the mission. The hole is 8.12 millimeters (0.32 inches) deep and took two hours and four minutes to create. The previous record was a 7.23-millimeter-deep (0.28-inch-deep) hole dug on sol 86 (April 21, 2004) on the feature dubbed "Pilbara," located in Meridiani's "Fram Crater." |
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Opportunity Leaves a Trail o
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PIA06719
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
| Title |
Opportunity Leaves a Trail of 'Rat' Holes |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's rock abrasion tool, known informally as the "Rat," has nibbled seven holes into the slope of "Endurance Crater." This image from the rover's navigation camera was released previously (PIA06716) without the Rat holes labeled so that viewers could try to find the holes themselves. Here, the holes have been identified. Starting from the uppermost pictured (closest to the crater rim) to the lowest, the Rat hole targets are: "Tennessee,""Cobblehill,""Virginia,""London,""Grindstone,""Kettlestone," and "Drammensfjorden." These holes were drilled on sols 138 (June 13, 2004), 143 (June 18), 145 (June 20), 148 (June 23), 151 (June 26), 153 (June 28) and 161 (July 7), respectively. Each hole is 4.5 centimeters (1.8 inches) in diameter. |
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Approaching an Overlook
PIA07194
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Approaching an Overlook |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The path of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit through the rover's 354th martian day, or sol (Dec. 31, 2004), plus some future travel options, are indicated on this map of the "Husband Hill" region of the "Columbia Hills" within Mars' Gusev Crater. The rover team plans to send Spirit to a vantage point dubbed "Larry's Lookout" for views to help in deciding whether to dip into "Tennessee Valley." The base image for the map was taken by the Mars Orbiter Camera aboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor. |
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Spirit Traverse Map, Sol 404
PIA07393
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Spirit Traverse Map, Sol 404 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1 NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit drove a total of 4,143 meters (2.57 miles) between its landing in January 2004 and its 404th martian day, or sol (Feb. 20, 2005). This map on an image taken by the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the course the rover drove during that time. The rover has recently been approaching a ridge overlooking "Tennessee Valley" on the north flank of "Husband Hill." |
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Spirit Traverse Map, Sol 404
PIA07393
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Spirit Traverse Map, Sol 404 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1 NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit drove a total of 4,143 meters (2.57 miles) between its landing in January 2004 and its 404th martian day, or sol (Feb. 20, 2005). This map on an image taken by the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the course the rover drove during that time. The rover has recently been approaching a ridge overlooking "Tennessee Valley" on the north flank of "Husband Hill." |
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Spirit 360-Degree View on So
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PIA07408
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
| Title |
Spirit 360-Degree View on Sol 409 (3D) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1 Figure 2 NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 360-degree view of the rover's surroundings on Spirit's 409th martian day, or sol (Feb. 26, 2005). Spirit had driven 2 meters (7 feet) on this sol to get in position on "Cumberland Ridge" for looking into "Tennessee Valley" to the east. This location is catalogued as Spirit's Site 108. Rover-wheel tracks from climbing the ridge are visible on the right. The summit of "Husband Hill" is at the center, to the south. This view is presented in a cylindrical-perspective projection with geometric and brightness seam correction. Figure 1 is the left-eye view of a stereo pair and Figure 2 is the right-eye view of a stereo pair. |
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Spirit 360-Degree View on So
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PIA07408
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
| Title |
Spirit 360-Degree View on Sol 409 (3D) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1 Figure 2 NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 360-degree view of the rover's surroundings on Spirit's 409th martian day, or sol (Feb. 26, 2005). Spirit had driven 2 meters (7 feet) on this sol to get in position on "Cumberland Ridge" for looking into "Tennessee Valley" to the east. This location is catalogued as Spirit's Site 108. Rover-wheel tracks from climbing the ridge are visible on the right. The summit of "Husband Hill" is at the center, to the south. This view is presented in a cylindrical-perspective projection with geometric and brightness seam correction. Figure 1 is the left-eye view of a stereo pair and Figure 2 is the right-eye view of a stereo pair. |
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Spirit 360-Degree View on So
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PIA07408
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
| Title |
Spirit 360-Degree View on Sol 409 (3D) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1 Figure 2 NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 360-degree view of the rover's surroundings on Spirit's 409th martian day, or sol (Feb. 26, 2005). Spirit had driven 2 meters (7 feet) on this sol to get in position on "Cumberland Ridge" for looking into "Tennessee Valley" to the east. This location is catalogued as Spirit's Site 108. Rover-wheel tracks from climbing the ridge are visible on the right. The summit of "Husband Hill" is at the center, to the south. This view is presented in a cylindrical-perspective projection with geometric and brightness seam correction. Figure 1 is the left-eye view of a stereo pair and Figure 2 is the right-eye view of a stereo pair. |
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Spirit's 'Lookout Panorama'
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PIA07958
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
| Title |
Spirit's 'Lookout Panorama' in 3-D |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1 Figure 2 This is a stereoscopic version of the Spirit panoramic camera's "Lookout" panorama, acquired on the rover's 410th to 413th martian days, or sols (Feb. 27 to Mar. 2, 2005). The view is from a position known informally as "Larry's Lookout" along the drive up "Husband Hill." The summit of Husband Hill is the far peak near the center of this panorama and is about 200 meters (656 feet) away from the rover and about 45 meters (148 feet) higher in elevation. The bright rocky outcrop near the center of the panorama is part of the "Cumberland Ridge," and beyond that and to the left is the "Tennessee Valley." Spirit's tracks leading back from the "West Spur" region can be seen on the right side of the panorama. The region just beyond the area where the tracks made their last zig-zag is the area known as "Paso Robles", where Spirit discovered rock and soil deposits with very high sulfur abundances. This stereo anaglyph is presented in a cylindrical-perspective projection with special "untilt" processing. The tilt of the rover (roll -14 degrees, pitch +13 degrees) has been removed by special processing of the images, resulting in a flat horizon (thus a more "natural" view) with very little vertical disparity. (Vertical disparity is one of the main things that give you a headache when looking at stereo images.) Geometric and brightness corrections have been applied. Figure 1 is the left-eye view of a stereo pair and Figure 2 is the right-eye view of a stereo pair. |
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Spirit's 'Lookout Panorama'
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PIA07958
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
| Title |
Spirit's 'Lookout Panorama' in 3-D |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1 Figure 2 This is a stereoscopic version of the Spirit panoramic camera's "Lookout" panorama, acquired on the rover's 410th to 413th martian days, or sols (Feb. 27 to Mar. 2, 2005). The view is from a position known informally as "Larry's Lookout" along the drive up "Husband Hill." The summit of Husband Hill is the far peak near the center of this panorama and is about 200 meters (656 feet) away from the rover and about 45 meters (148 feet) higher in elevation. The bright rocky outcrop near the center of the panorama is part of the "Cumberland Ridge," and beyond that and to the left is the "Tennessee Valley." Spirit's tracks leading back from the "West Spur" region can be seen on the right side of the panorama. The region just beyond the area where the tracks made their last zig-zag is the area known as "Paso Robles", where Spirit discovered rock and soil deposits with very high sulfur abundances. This stereo anaglyph is presented in a cylindrical-perspective projection with special "untilt" processing. The tilt of the rover (roll -14 degrees, pitch +13 degrees) has been removed by special processing of the images, resulting in a flat horizon (thus a more "natural" view) with very little vertical disparity. (Vertical disparity is one of the main things that give you a headache when looking at stereo images.) Geometric and brightness corrections have been applied. Figure 1 is the left-eye view of a stereo pair and Figure 2 is the right-eye view of a stereo pair. |
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Spirit's 'Lookout Panorama'
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PIA07958
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
| Title |
Spirit's 'Lookout Panorama' in 3-D |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1 Figure 2 This is a stereoscopic version of the Spirit panoramic camera's "Lookout" panorama, acquired on the rover's 410th to 413th martian days, or sols (Feb. 27 to Mar. 2, 2005). The view is from a position known informally as "Larry's Lookout" along the drive up "Husband Hill." The summit of Husband Hill is the far peak near the center of this panorama and is about 200 meters (656 feet) away from the rover and about 45 meters (148 feet) higher in elevation. The bright rocky outcrop near the center of the panorama is part of the "Cumberland Ridge," and beyond that and to the left is the "Tennessee Valley." Spirit's tracks leading back from the "West Spur" region can be seen on the right side of the panorama. The region just beyond the area where the tracks made their last zig-zag is the area known as "Paso Robles", where Spirit discovered rock and soil deposits with very high sulfur abundances. This stereo anaglyph is presented in a cylindrical-perspective projection with special "untilt" processing. The tilt of the rover (roll -14 degrees, pitch +13 degrees) has been removed by special processing of the images, resulting in a flat horizon (thus a more "natural" view) with very little vertical disparity. (Vertical disparity is one of the main things that give you a headache when looking at stereo images.) Geometric and brightness corrections have been applied. Figure 1 is the left-eye view of a stereo pair and Figure 2 is the right-eye view of a stereo pair. |
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Postcard Above Tennessee Val
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PIA04183
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
| Title |
Postcard Above Tennessee Valley |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This "postcard" or mini-panorama was taken by NASA's Spirit rover on martian day, or sol, 582 (August 23, 2005), just as the rover finally completed its intrepid climb up Husband Hill. The summit appears to be a windswept plateau of scattered rocks, little sand dunes and small exposures of outcrop. The breathtaking view here is toward the north, looking down into the drifts and outcrops of the "Tennessee Valley," a region that Spirit was not able to visit during its climb to the top of the hill. The approximate true-color postcard spans about 90 degrees and consists of images obtained by the rover's panoramic camera during 18 individual pointings. At each pointing, the rover used three of its panoramic filters (600, 530 and 480 nanometers). |
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Spirit 360-Degree View on So
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PIA07409
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
| Title |
Spirit 360-Degree View on Sol 409 (polar) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 360-degree view of the rover's surroundings on Spirit's 409th martian day, or sol (Feb. 26, 2005). Spirit had driven 2 meters (7 feet) on this sol to get in position on "Cumberland Ridge" for looking into "Tennessee Valley" to the east. This location is catalogued as Spirit's Site 108. Rover-wheel tracks from climbing the ridge are visible on the right. The summit of "Husband Hill" is at the center, to the south. This view is presented in a polar projection with geometric and brightness seam correction. |
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Cloud Spirals and Outflow in
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PIA04384
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Cloud Spirals and Outflow in Tropical Storm Katrina |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
On Tuesday, August 30, 2005, NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer retrieved cloud-top heights and cloud-tracked wind velocities for Tropical Storm Katrina, as the center of the storm was situated over the Tennessee valley. At this time Katrina was weakening and no longer classified as a hurricane, and would soon become an extratropical depression. Measurements such as these can help atmospheric scientists compare results of computer-generated hurricane simulations with observed conditions, ultimately allowing them to better represent and understand physical processes occurring in hurricanes. Because air currents are influenced by the Coriolis force (caused by the rotation of the Earth), Northern Hemisphere hurricanes are characterized by an inward counterclockwise (cyclonic) rotation towards the center. It is less widely known that, at high altitudes, outward-spreading bands of cloud rotate in a clockwise (anticyclonic) direction. The image on the left shows the retrieved cloud-tracked winds as red arrows superimposed across the natural color view from MISR's nadir (vertical-viewing) camera. Both the counter-clockwise motion for the lower-level storm clouds and the clockwise motion for the upper clouds are apparent in these images. The speeds for the clockwise upper level winds have typical values between 40 and 45 m/s (144-162 km/hr). The low level counterclockwise winds have typical values between 7 and 24 m/s (25-86 km/hr), weakening with distance from the storm center. The image on the right displays the cloud-top height retrievals. Areas where cloud heights could not be retrieved are shown in dark gray. Both the wind velocity vectors and the cloud-top height field were produced by automated computer recognition of displacements in spatial features within successive MISR images acquired at different view angles and at slightly different times. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously, viewing the entire globe between 82° north and 82° south latitude every nine days. This image covers an area of about 380 kilometers by 1970 kilometers. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 30324 and utilize data from blocks 55-68 within World Reference System-2 path 22. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology. |
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Do the Hokey Pokey
PIA06268
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
| Title |
Do the Hokey Pokey |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This animation shows the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's "dance" into "Endurance Crater." The rover drove forward, back, then forward again, bringing it five meters (16.4 feet) into the crater. Presently, the rover is investigating a flat rock dubbed "Tennessee" with its scientific instruments. The images making up this movie were taken by the rover's front hazard-avoidance camera. |
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Flooding Resulting From Hurr
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PIA00365
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Flooding Resulting From Hurricane Isidore, Comparing Data from September 12 and 28, 2002 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Extent of Flooding due to Hurricane Isidore revealed in images from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounding System (AIRS) on Aqua Tropical Storm Isidore was born in mid-September north of Venezuela. It subsequently hit Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 3 hurricane and came ashore near New Orleans on September 26th packing winds just below hurricane strength. Around the time of September 27, the storm was downgraded to a tropical depression as the system moved into Tennessee. At the time the Aqua spacecraft first passed over Isidore, it was classified as a Category 3 (possibly 4) hurricane, with minimum pressure of 934 mbar, maximum sustained wind speeds of 110 knots (gusting to 135) and an eye diameter of 20 nautical miles. Isidore was later downgraded to a Tropical Storm and then a Tropical Depression as it lost energy. Figures 1 and 2, two images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites show no significant weather systems over the southeastern United States on September 12 and September 28 (16 days apart). However, the microwave component of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment on NASA's Aqua spacecraft shows a striking difference. The difference in the two microwave images (figures 3 and 4) from the AIRS Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit is primarily due to flooding after Tropical Storm Isidore. Water has a very low surface emissivity at this frequency, and that causes surface water to appear very cold (even though it is not). Land appears relatively warm (well above freezing - 273 K, even at night as seen is these images), but if there is standing water, the apparent temperature drops precipitously. Figure 4, taken just about a day after the remnants of Isidore passed over the southeast, shows heavy flooding along the Mississippi, especially in the states of Mississippi and Tennessee, but other states are also affected. The spatial resolution of the AMSU-A instrument is relatively large (each measurement spot is about 25 miles in diameter at the center of the swath), but the enormous thermal contrast in the microwave between land and water makes even small flooded areas stand out., Figure 5: Difference image, 9/12 and 9/28) The Aqua spacecraft has an exact 16-day repeat cycle, that is why the pre-Isidore image is 16 days prior to the post-Isidore image. They have exactly the same coverage, which makes it possible to obtain a difference image (figure 5). The difference image is the difference between the September 28 and September 12 images shown. In the difference image, white indicates no difference at all, green is very little difference, blue/purple indicates primarily heavy flooding. Red indicates warming likely due to warmer weather. (The straight lines on the right and left edges of the difference image are caused by slight differences between the two repeat passes of Aqua). The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Flooding Resulting From Hurr
…
PIA00365
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Flooding Resulting From Hurricane Isidore, Comparing Data from September 12 and 28, 2002 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Extent of Flooding due to Hurricane Isidore revealed in images from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounding System (AIRS) on Aqua Tropical Storm Isidore was born in mid-September north of Venezuela. It subsequently hit Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 3 hurricane and came ashore near New Orleans on September 26th packing winds just below hurricane strength. Around the time of September 27, the storm was downgraded to a tropical depression as the system moved into Tennessee. At the time the Aqua spacecraft first passed over Isidore, it was classified as a Category 3 (possibly 4) hurricane, with minimum pressure of 934 mbar, maximum sustained wind speeds of 110 knots (gusting to 135) and an eye diameter of 20 nautical miles. Isidore was later downgraded to a Tropical Storm and then a Tropical Depression as it lost energy. Figures 1 and 2, two images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites show no significant weather systems over the southeastern United States on September 12 and September 28 (16 days apart). However, the microwave component of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment on NASA's Aqua spacecraft shows a striking difference. The difference in the two microwave images (figures 3 and 4) from the AIRS Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit is primarily due to flooding after Tropical Storm Isidore. Water has a very low surface emissivity at this frequency, and that causes surface water to appear very cold (even though it is not). Land appears relatively warm (well above freezing - 273 K, even at night as seen is these images), but if there is standing water, the apparent temperature drops precipitously. Figure 4, taken just about a day after the remnants of Isidore passed over the southeast, shows heavy flooding along the Mississippi, especially in the states of Mississippi and Tennessee, but other states are also affected. The spatial resolution of the AMSU-A instrument is relatively large (each measurement spot is about 25 miles in diameter at the center of the swath), but the enormous thermal contrast in the microwave between land and water makes even small flooded areas stand out., Figure 5: Difference image, 9/12 and 9/28) The Aqua spacecraft has an exact 16-day repeat cycle, that is why the pre-Isidore image is 16 days prior to the post-Isidore image. They have exactly the same coverage, which makes it possible to obtain a difference image (figure 5). The difference image is the difference between the September 28 and September 12 images shown. In the difference image, white indicates no difference at all, green is very little difference, blue/purple indicates primarily heavy flooding. Red indicates warming likely due to warmer weather. (The straight lines on the right and left edges of the difference image are caused by slight differences between the two repeat passes of Aqua). The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Flooding Resulting From Hurr
…
PIA00365
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Flooding Resulting From Hurricane Isidore, Comparing Data from September 12 and 28, 2002 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Extent of Flooding due to Hurricane Isidore revealed in images from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounding System (AIRS) on Aqua Tropical Storm Isidore was born in mid-September north of Venezuela. It subsequently hit Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 3 hurricane and came ashore near New Orleans on September 26th packing winds just below hurricane strength. Around the time of September 27, the storm was downgraded to a tropical depression as the system moved into Tennessee. At the time the Aqua spacecraft first passed over Isidore, it was classified as a Category 3 (possibly 4) hurricane, with minimum pressure of 934 mbar, maximum sustained wind speeds of 110 knots (gusting to 135) and an eye diameter of 20 nautical miles. Isidore was later downgraded to a Tropical Storm and then a Tropical Depression as it lost energy. Figures 1 and 2, two images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites show no significant weather systems over the southeastern United States on September 12 and September 28 (16 days apart). However, the microwave component of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment on NASA's Aqua spacecraft shows a striking difference. The difference in the two microwave images (figures 3 and 4) from the AIRS Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit is primarily due to flooding after Tropical Storm Isidore. Water has a very low surface emissivity at this frequency, and that causes surface water to appear very cold (even though it is not). Land appears relatively warm (well above freezing - 273 K, even at night as seen is these images), but if there is standing water, the apparent temperature drops precipitously. Figure 4, taken just about a day after the remnants of Isidore passed over the southeast, shows heavy flooding along the Mississippi, especially in the states of Mississippi and Tennessee, but other states are also affected. The spatial resolution of the AMSU-A instrument is relatively large (each measurement spot is about 25 miles in diameter at the center of the swath), but the enormous thermal contrast in the microwave between land and water makes even small flooded areas stand out., Figure 5: Difference image, 9/12 and 9/28) The Aqua spacecraft has an exact 16-day repeat cycle, that is why the pre-Isidore image is 16 days prior to the post-Isidore image. They have exactly the same coverage, which makes it possible to obtain a difference image (figure 5). The difference image is the difference between the September 28 and September 12 images shown. In the difference image, white indicates no difference at all, green is very little difference, blue/purple indicates primarily heavy flooding. Red indicates warming likely due to warmer weather. (The straight lines on the right and left edges of the difference image are caused by slight differences between the two repeat passes of Aqua). The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Flooding Resulting From Hurr
…
PIA00365
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Flooding Resulting From Hurricane Isidore, Comparing Data from September 12 and 28, 2002 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Extent of Flooding due to Hurricane Isidore revealed in images from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounding System (AIRS) on Aqua Tropical Storm Isidore was born in mid-September north of Venezuela. It subsequently hit Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 3 hurricane and came ashore near New Orleans on September 26th packing winds just below hurricane strength. Around the time of September 27, the storm was downgraded to a tropical depression as the system moved into Tennessee. At the time the Aqua spacecraft first passed over Isidore, it was classified as a Category 3 (possibly 4) hurricane, with minimum pressure of 934 mbar, maximum sustained wind speeds of 110 knots (gusting to 135) and an eye diameter of 20 nautical miles. Isidore was later downgraded to a Tropical Storm and then a Tropical Depression as it lost energy. Figures 1 and 2, two images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites show no significant weather systems over the southeastern United States on September 12 and September 28 (16 days apart). However, the microwave component of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment on NASA's Aqua spacecraft shows a striking difference. The difference in the two microwave images (figures 3 and 4) from the AIRS Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit is primarily due to flooding after Tropical Storm Isidore. Water has a very low surface emissivity at this frequency, and that causes surface water to appear very cold (even though it is not). Land appears relatively warm (well above freezing - 273 K, even at night as seen is these images), but if there is standing water, the apparent temperature drops precipitously. Figure 4, taken just about a day after the remnants of Isidore passed over the southeast, shows heavy flooding along the Mississippi, especially in the states of Mississippi and Tennessee, but other states are also affected. The spatial resolution of the AMSU-A instrument is relatively large (each measurement spot is about 25 miles in diameter at the center of the swath), but the enormous thermal contrast in the microwave between land and water makes even small flooded areas stand out., Figure 5: Difference image, 9/12 and 9/28) The Aqua spacecraft has an exact 16-day repeat cycle, that is why the pre-Isidore image is 16 days prior to the post-Isidore image. They have exactly the same coverage, which makes it possible to obtain a difference image (figure 5). The difference image is the difference between the September 28 and September 12 images shown. In the difference image, white indicates no difference at all, green is very little difference, blue/purple indicates primarily heavy flooding. Red indicates warming likely due to warmer weather. (The straight lines on the right and left edges of the difference image are caused by slight differences between the two repeat passes of Aqua). The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Flooding Resulting From Hurr
…
PIA00365
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Flooding Resulting From Hurricane Isidore, Comparing Data from September 12 and 28, 2002 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Extent of Flooding due to Hurricane Isidore revealed in images from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounding System (AIRS) on Aqua Tropical Storm Isidore was born in mid-September north of Venezuela. It subsequently hit Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 3 hurricane and came ashore near New Orleans on September 26th packing winds just below hurricane strength. Around the time of September 27, the storm was downgraded to a tropical depression as the system moved into Tennessee. At the time the Aqua spacecraft first passed over Isidore, it was classified as a Category 3 (possibly 4) hurricane, with minimum pressure of 934 mbar, maximum sustained wind speeds of 110 knots (gusting to 135) and an eye diameter of 20 nautical miles. Isidore was later downgraded to a Tropical Storm and then a Tropical Depression as it lost energy. Figures 1 and 2, two images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites show no significant weather systems over the southeastern United States on September 12 and September 28 (16 days apart). However, the microwave component of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment on NASA's Aqua spacecraft shows a striking difference. The difference in the two microwave images (figures 3 and 4) from the AIRS Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit is primarily due to flooding after Tropical Storm Isidore. Water has a very low surface emissivity at this frequency, and that causes surface water to appear very cold (even though it is not). Land appears relatively warm (well above freezing - 273 K, even at night as seen is these images), but if there is standing water, the apparent temperature drops precipitously. Figure 4, taken just about a day after the remnants of Isidore passed over the southeast, shows heavy flooding along the Mississippi, especially in the states of Mississippi and Tennessee, but other states are also affected. The spatial resolution of the AMSU-A instrument is relatively large (each measurement spot is about 25 miles in diameter at the center of the swath), but the enormous thermal contrast in the microwave between land and water makes even small flooded areas stand out., Figure 5: Difference image, 9/12 and 9/28) The Aqua spacecraft has an exact 16-day repeat cycle, that is why the pre-Isidore image is 16 days prior to the post-Isidore image. They have exactly the same coverage, which makes it possible to obtain a difference image (figure 5). The difference image is the difference between the September 28 and September 12 images shown. In the difference image, white indicates no difference at all, green is very little difference, blue/purple indicates primarily heavy flooding. Red indicates warming likely due to warmer weather. (The straight lines on the right and left edges of the difference image are caused by slight differences between the two repeat passes of Aqua). The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Flooding Resulting From Hurr
…
PIA00365
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Flooding Resulting From Hurricane Isidore, Comparing Data from September 12 and 28, 2002 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Extent of Flooding due to Hurricane Isidore revealed in images from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounding System (AIRS) on Aqua Tropical Storm Isidore was born in mid-September north of Venezuela. It subsequently hit Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 3 hurricane and came ashore near New Orleans on September 26th packing winds just below hurricane strength. Around the time of September 27, the storm was downgraded to a tropical depression as the system moved into Tennessee. At the time the Aqua spacecraft first passed over Isidore, it was classified as a Category 3 (possibly 4) hurricane, with minimum pressure of 934 mbar, maximum sustained wind speeds of 110 knots (gusting to 135) and an eye diameter of 20 nautical miles. Isidore was later downgraded to a Tropical Storm and then a Tropical Depression as it lost energy. Figures 1 and 2, two images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites show no significant weather systems over the southeastern United States on September 12 and September 28 (16 days apart). However, the microwave component of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment on NASA's Aqua spacecraft shows a striking difference. The difference in the two microwave images (figures 3 and 4) from the AIRS Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit is primarily due to flooding after Tropical Storm Isidore. Water has a very low surface emissivity at this frequency, and that causes surface water to appear very cold (even though it is not). Land appears relatively warm (well above freezing - 273 K, even at night as seen is these images), but if there is standing water, the apparent temperature drops precipitously. Figure 4, taken just about a day after the remnants of Isidore passed over the southeast, shows heavy flooding along the Mississippi, especially in the states of Mississippi and Tennessee, but other states are also affected. The spatial resolution of the AMSU-A instrument is relatively large (each measurement spot is about 25 miles in diameter at the center of the swath), but the enormous thermal contrast in the microwave between land and water makes even small flooded areas stand out., Figure 5: Difference image, 9/12 and 9/28) The Aqua spacecraft has an exact 16-day repeat cycle, that is why the pre-Isidore image is 16 days prior to the post-Isidore image. They have exactly the same coverage, which makes it possible to obtain a difference image (figure 5). The difference image is the difference between the September 28 and September 12 images shown. In the difference image, white indicates no difference at all, green is very little difference, blue/purple indicates primarily heavy flooding. Red indicates warming likely due to warmer weather. (The straight lines on the right and left edges of the difference image are caused by slight differences between the two repeat passes of Aqua). The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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'Tennessee' Clues
PIA06277
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
| Title |
'Tennessee' Clues |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This false-color image shows the area within "Endurance Crater," currently being investigated by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. The rover is inspecting a hole it drilled into a flat rock (center) dubbed "Tennessee," which scientists believe may be made up of the same evaporite-rich materials as those found in "Eagle Crater." The overall geography inside Endurance is more complex than scientists anticipated, with at least three distinct bands of rock visible in front of the rover. Scientists hope to investigate the second and third layers of rock for more clues to Mars' history. This image was taken on sol 133 (June 8, 2004) with the rover's panoramic camera, using the 750-, 530- and 430-nanometer filters. |
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'Endurance' From the Inside
PIA06270
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
| Title |
'Endurance' From the Inside |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This image taken by the hazard-avoidance camera on sol 137 (June 12, 2004) shows the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's rear view from its new position about 5 meters (16 feet) inside "Endurance Crater." The rover is currently investigating a flat rock dubbed "Tennessee," which scientists believe may be made up of the same evaporite-rich materials as those found in "Eagle Crater." |
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Snowfall in Southern Appalac
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PIA03746
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Snowfall in Southern Appalachia |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The snowstorm which swept across the eastern United States on December 4 and 5 also brought the season's first snow to parts of the south and southern Appalachia. The extent of snow cover over central Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina and Virginia are apparent in this view from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). This natural-color image was captured by MISR's downward-looking (nadir) camera on December 7, 2002. The Appalachians are bounded by the Blue Ridge mountain belt along the east and the Appalachian Plateau along the west. Valleys and ridges between the higher elevation areas retain the green and reddish-brown hues of autumn, and many rivers and lakes appear blue and unfrozen. The highest peak in the eastern United States, Mount Mitchell, is found in North Carolina's western tip, near the Great Smoky Mountains (the dark-colored range at lower right). The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. This data product was generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 15805. The image covers an area of 347 kilometers x 279 kilometers, and utilizes data from blocks 60 to 62 within World Reference System-2 path 19. |
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Top of the World
PIA04181
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
| Title |
Top of the World |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This panorama is one of the first that NASA's Spirit rover snapped upon reaching the summit of "Husband Hill," located in "Columbia Hills" in Gusev Crater, Mars. It reveals the vast landscape to the east previously hidden behind the Columbia Hills. The rim of "Thira Crater" frames the distant horizon some 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) away. The summit area is divided by a shallow saddle that slopes north (left) into an area called "Tennessee Valley." Large amounts of sandy material have been blown up the valley and across the saddle in the left-to-right direction, creating the rippled piles of sand seen in this image. The science team will examine bedrock and other materials in the summit area to determine their composition and the orientation of the rock layers. These and other observations will provide clues to how the rocks formed and how the hills were sculpted in the geologic past. This mosaic was taken by Spirit's panoramic camera, using the blue filter of its right eye. |
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Color View of a 'Rat' Hole T
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PIA06728
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
| Title |
Color View of a 'Rat' Hole Trail Inside 'Endurance' |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This view from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's panoramic camera is an approximately true color rendering of the first seven holes that the rover's rock abrasion tool dug on the inner slope of "Endurance Crater." The rover was about 12 meters (about 39 feet) down into the crater when it acquired the images combined into this mosaic. The view is looking back toward the rim of the crater, with the rover's tracks visible. The tailings around the holes drilled by the rock abrasion tool, or "Rat," show evidence for fine-grained red hematite similar to what was observed months earlier in "Eagle Crater" outcrop holes. Starting from the uppermost pictured (closest to the crater rim) to the lowest, the rock abrasion tool hole targets are called "Tennessee,""Cobblehill,""Virginia,""London,""Grindstone,""Kettlestone," and "Drammensfjorden." Opportunity drilled these holes on sols 138 (June 13, 2004), 143 (June 18), 145 (June 20), 148 (June 23), 151 (June 26), 153 (June 28) and 161 (July 7), respectively. Each hole is 4.5 centimeters (1.8 inches) in diameter. This image was generated using the panoramic camera's 750-, 530-, and 430-nanometer filters. It was taken on sol 173 (July 19). |
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False-Color View of a 'Rat'
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PIA06727
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
| Title |
False-Color View of a 'Rat' Hole Trail |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This view from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's panoramic camera is a false-color composite rendering of the first seven holes that the rover's rock abrasion tool dug on the inner slope of "Endurance Crater." The rover was about 12 meters (about 39 feet) down into the crater when it acquired the images combined into this mosaic. The view is looking back toward the rim of the crater, with the rover's tracks visible. The tailings around the holes drilled by the rock abrasion tool, or "Rat," show evidence for fine-grained red hematite similar to what was observed months earlier in "Eagle Crater" outcrop holes. Last week, viewers were asked to try seeing as many holes as they could from a black-and-white, navigation-camera image (PIA06716). Most viewers will find it far easier to see the seven holes in this exaggerated color image, the same is true for scientists who are studying the holes from millions of miles away. Starting from the uppermost pictured (closest to the crater rim) to the lowest, the rock abrasion tool hole targets are called "Tennessee,""Cobblehill,""Virginia,""London,""Grindstone,""Kettlestone," and "Drammensfjorden." Opportunity drilled these holes on sols 138 (June 13, 2004), 143 (June 18), 145 (June 20), 148 (June 23), 151 (June 26), 153 (June 28) and 161 (July 7), respectively. Each hole is 4.5 centimeters (1.8 inches) in diameter. This image was generated using the panoramic camera's 750-, 530-, and 430-nanometer filters. It was taken on sol 173 (July 19). |
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Spirit 360-Degree View on So
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PIA07410
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
| Title |
Spirit 360-Degree View on Sol 409 (vertical) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 360-degree view of the rover's surroundings on Spirit's 409th martian day, or sol (Feb. 26, 2005). Spirit had driven 2 meters (7 feet) on this sol to get in position on "Cumberland Ridge" for looking into "Tennessee Valley" to the east. This location is catalogued as Spirit's Site 108. Rover-wheel tracks from climbing the ridge are visible on the right. The summit of "Husband Hill" is at the center, to the south. This view is presented in a vertical projection with geometric and brightness seam correction. |
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Spirit 360-Degree View on So
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PIA07407
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
| Title |
Spirit 360-Degree View on Sol 409 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 360-degree view of the rover's surroundings on Spirit's 409th martian day, or sol (Feb. 26, 2005). Spirit had driven 2 meters (7 feet) on this sol to get in position on "Cumberland Ridge" for looking into "Tennessee Valley" to the east. This location is catalogued as Spirit's Site 108. Rover-wheel tracks from climbing the ridge are visible on the right. The summit of "Husband Hill" is at the center, to the south. This view is presented in a cylindrical projection with geometric and brightness seam correction. |
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'Columbia Hills' Oblique Vie
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PIA07851
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
'Columbia Hills' Oblique View |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1: Spirit's Long Journey, Sol 450 This perspective view of a three-dimensional terrain model shows the shape of the "Columbia Hills" landscape where NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has been working since mid-2004. North is toward the lower left. "Husband Hill" is at the center, with the "Inner Basin" behind it. This view is from images taken by the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and processed into a three-dimensional terrain model by the U.S. Geological Survey. Spirit's Long Journey, Sol 450 More than 15 months after landing on Mars, NASA's Spirit rover is still going strong, having traveled a total of 4,276 meters (2.66 miles) as of martian day, or sol, 450 (April 8, 2005). This is a perspective view of the steepness of the "Columbia Hills," showing sites nicknamed "Tennessee Valley,""Larry's Lookout,""Inner Basin,""Home Plate," and the basin and summit beyond. This orbital view comprises images taken by the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and processed by the U.S. Geological Survey as a three-dimensional terrain model. |
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'Columbia Hills' Oblique Vie
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PIA07851
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
'Columbia Hills' Oblique View |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1: Spirit's Long Journey, Sol 450 This perspective view of a three-dimensional terrain model shows the shape of the "Columbia Hills" landscape where NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has been working since mid-2004. North is toward the lower left. "Husband Hill" is at the center, with the "Inner Basin" behind it. This view is from images taken by the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and processed into a three-dimensional terrain model by the U.S. Geological Survey. Spirit's Long Journey, Sol 450 More than 15 months after landing on Mars, NASA's Spirit rover is still going strong, having traveled a total of 4,276 meters (2.66 miles) as of martian day, or sol, 450 (April 8, 2005). This is a perspective view of the steepness of the "Columbia Hills," showing sites nicknamed "Tennessee Valley,""Larry's Lookout,""Inner Basin,""Home Plate," and the basin and summit beyond. This orbital view comprises images taken by the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and processed by the U.S. Geological Survey as a three-dimensional terrain model. |
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Scientists Contemplate Tilti
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PIA07829
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
| Title |
Scientists Contemplate Tilting of Rock Layers on Mars |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Gazing across the landscape of the "Columbia Hills" in Gusev Crater on Mars, scientists working with NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit think they have been seeing hints of tilted rock layers across the area traversed by the rover. At "Larry's Lookout," pictured here, ridges of rock are stacked atop each other and tilted. Similar rock ridges are visible in the distance across the "Tennessee Valley." One possible explanation for these ridges is that they were formed by tilted layers of sediment that were more resistant to erosion and now stand in relief above the surrounding surface. Scientists hope to better understand the structure of the hills and perhaps determine how they were formed by observing how the orientation of layers in these outcrops changes throughout the region. Hypotheses include that the Columbia Hills are the remains of an ancient volcano, a remnant of an old impact crater formed by an asteroid or comet, or delta deposits formed where water flowed into Gusev Crater early in its history. Each of these hypotheses leads to a different prediction regarding bedding orientation and structure. Hills on the distant horizon may be the rim of a large impact crater many miles to the east of the Columbia Hills. Spirit took this image with its navigation camera on martian day, or sol, 438 (March 27, 2005). |
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Spirit Discovers New Class o
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PIA08698
Sol (our sun)
| Title |
Spirit Discovers New Class of Igneous Rocks |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
During the past two-and-a-half years of traversing the central part of Gusev Crater, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has analyzed the brushed and ground-into surfaces of multiple rocks using the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, which measures the abundance of major chemical elements. In the process, Spirit has documented the first example of a particular kind of volcanic region on Mars known as an alkaline igneous province. The word alkaline refers to the abundance of sodium and potassium, two major rock-forming elements from the alkali metals on the left-hand side of the periodic table. All of the relatively unaltered rocks -- those least changed by wind, water, freezing, or other weathering agents -- examined by Spirit have been igneous, meaning that they crystallized from molten magmas. One way geologists classify igneous rocks is by looking at the amount of potassium and sodium relative to the amount of silica, the most abundant rock-forming mineral on Earth. In the case of volcanic rocks, the amount of silica present gives scientists clues to the kind of volcanism that occurred, while the amounts of potassium and sodium provide clues about the history of the rock. Rocks with more silica tend to erupt explosively. Higher contents of potassium and sodium, as seen in alkaline rocks like those at Gusev, may indicate partial melting of magma at higher pressure, that is, deeper in the Martian mantle. The abundance of potassium and sodium determines the kinds of minerals that make up igneous rocks. If igneous rocks have enough silica, potassium and sodium always bond with the silica to form certain minerals. The Gusev rocks define a new chemical category not previously seen on Mars, as shown in this diagram plotting alkalis versus silica, compiled by University of Tennessee geologist Harry McSween. The abbreviations "Na2O" and "K2O" refer to oxides of sodium and potassium. The abbreviation "SiO2" refers to silica. The abbreviation "wt. %" indicates that the numbers tell what percentage of the total weight of each rock is silica (on the horizontal scale) and what percentage is oxides of sodium and potassium (on the vertical scale). The thin lines separate volcanic rock types identified on Earth by different scientific names such as foidite and picrobasalt. Various classes of Gusev rocks (see box in upper right) all plot either on or to the left of the green lines, which define "alkaline" and "subalkaline" categories (subalkaline rocks have more silica than alkaline rocks). Members of the rover team have named different classes of rocks after specimens examined by Spirit that represent their overall character. During the rover's travels, Spirit discovered that Adirondack-class rocks littered the Gusev plains, that Backstay, Irvine, and Wishstone-class rocks occurred as loose blocks on the northwest slope of "Husband Hill", and that outcrops of Algonquin-class rocks protruded in several places on the southeast face. These rocks have, less silica than all previously analyzed Mars samples, which are subalkaline. The previously analyzed Mars samples include Martian meteorites found on Earth and rocks analyzed by the Mars Pathfinder rover in 1997. Gusev is the first documented example of an alkaline igneous province on Mars. |
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
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| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Spotted in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with the space center, an anhinga captures a fish in its long, dagger-shaped bill. It is also known as the "snakebird" because in the water its body is submerged so that only its head and long, slender neck are visible. Ranging the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts from North Carolina to Texas, north in the Mississippi Valley to Arkansas and Tennessee, and in the South to South America, it inhabits freshwater ponds and swamps with thick vegetation. They are often seen with wings half-open, drying them in the sun since they lack oil glands with which to preen |
| Release Date |
01/08/1999 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
…
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with the space center, an anhinga gets ready to eat the fish it captured in the nearby Indian River with its long, dagger-shaped bill. The bird will flip its catch into the air and gulp it down headfirst. The anhinga is also known as the "snakebird" because in the water its body is submerged so that only its head and long, slender neck are visible. Ranging the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts from North Carolina to Texas, north in the Mississippi Valley to Arkansas and Tennessee, and in the South to South America, it inhabits freshwater ponds and swamps with thick vegetation. They are often seen with wings half-open, drying them in the sun since they lack oil glands with which to preen |
| Release Date |
01/08/1999 |
|
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