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NASA HAS RELEASED new images of rock formations shot by their Curiosity rover, which is currently traversing the Red Planet.
The layered geological past of Mars is laid bare in the new colour images returned by the unmanned rover, which is currently exploring the ‘Murray Buttes’ region of lower Mount Sharp.
Curiosity took the images with its Mast Camera two days ago.
“Curiosity’s science team has been just thrilled to go on this road trip through a bit of the American desert Southwest on Mars,” said Curiosity project scientist Ashwin Vasavada, of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.
The Martian buttes and mesas rising above the surface are eroded remnants of ancient sandstone that originated when winds deposited sand after the formation of lower Mount Sharp.
Groundwater
Vasavada added:
Studying these buttes up close has given us a better understanding of ancient sand dunes that formed and were buried, chemically changed by groundwater, exhumed and eroded to form the landscape that we see today.
The new images represent Curiosity’s last stop in the Murray Buttes, where the rover has been driving for just over a month.
Curiosity Rover / TwitterThis history of #Mars is written in its rocks, and this looks like a real page turner. https://t.co/7FCAmM1EgY pic.twitter.com/U56yefBC1n
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) September 9, 2016
Drilling campaign
As of this week, Curiosity has exited these buttes toward the south, driving up to the base of the final butte on its way out. In this location, the rover began its latest drilling campaign on 9 Sept.
After this drilling is completed, Curiosity will continue farther south and higher up Mount Sharp, leaving behind these spectacular formations.
Curiosity Rover / TwitterBest. Road trip. Ever. Feast your eyes on the Martian landscape. https://t.co/7FCAmM1EgY #JourneytoMars pic.twitter.com/UaQvyoSOSU
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) September 9, 2016
Ancient lakes
Curiosity landed near Mount Sharp in 2012.
It reached the base of the mountain in 2014 after successfully finding evidence on the surrounding plains that ancient Martian lakes offered conditions that would have been favorable for microbes if Mars has ever hosted life.
Rock layers forming the base of Mount Sharp accumulated as sediment within ancient lakes billions of years ago.
On Mount Sharp, Curiosity is investigating how and when the habitable ancient conditions known from the mission’s earlier findings evolved into conditions drier and less favourable for life.
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Awesome.
Amazing. Mankind at its best.
Fantastic stuff. And hopefully some day someone will stand there and see for themselves what the rover saw. That’s what we are, explorers. Always wanting to see “what’s over there”.
Too late. Matt Damon did it last year. Even grew spuds up there
Spending a fortune saving that Fella from all sorts of trouble!
were they queens or what kind of spud?
Ker pinks I’d say, they would grow in anything!
Some carrots and you’d be all set.
They were a new species of Whites.. called Shites potatoes.
Wheres the bird with the 3 boobs?
She got sucked out to space I think
As a geologist myself I have to say, that cross bedding is beautiful.
Shame there isn’t a hammer or an undergraduate for scale though…….
So many ancient artifacts in those photos; no doubt left from the civilisation that lived on Mars before they had to escape to colonise Earth, our true ancestors.
Looks remarkably similar to places on our own planet. I mean so similar the photos could almost have been taken here
Well, that settles it, there IS life on Mars. That top pic clearly shows a handbag amongst those rocks.
The bottom right of that top picture seems to show an ancient Egyptian type weathered bust…If Martians were that ugly maybe that expalins why they died out!
We have an even nicer planet here on Earth, we should be more careful with it for the short period we are it on loan.
Is there an Irish bar up there ?
Yes John, its called the Mars bar, hehe.
There’s absolutely no way that those rovers are on Mars.
Eoin, if you say so then it must be correct. I’ll be looking forward to your paper explaining your scientific reasoning for your claim.
Well obviously Jesus, 9/11 and the Illuminati.
You must be a follower of the religion of Scientism Gary.
Looks like shit enough craic up there.
I remember being on holiday in America years ago, in Arizona. Those pictures look just like it.
John Carter has lived there for years, has a wife and son there. (according to E.R.Burrows)
Well the movie version has grounded him on Earth for life after the box office takings. I’ll be on Mars before he will.
have your say