* Astronomy

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RE: Mars Reconnaissance orbiter

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New images for 24 February 2010

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HICLIP (10 Feb 2010)
iPhone (480x272; 17MB)

DTM: Channels from Hale Crater (PSP_005609_1470) Channels associated with impact craters were once thought to be quite rare.	A Field of Secondary Craters (PSP_002281_2115) Secondary craters often occur in clusters as a piece of ejecta breaks up before hitting the surface.	Central Deposits in Pasteur Crater (PSP_001756_1995) At high resolution, layering is revealed in many of the knobs and outcrops.
Slope Streaks in Acheron Fossae (PSP_001656_2175) Slope streak formation is among the few known processes currently active on Mars.	Oudemans Crater Central Uplift: A Sample of Well-Preserved Layering (PSP_001602_1700) Such beautifully preserved layered rocks, although rare, are no surprise to planetary scientists.	Candidate Landing Site in NE Syrtis Major (ESP_016219_1980) This region exposes Early Noachian bedrock, more than 4 billion years old.

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New images for 17 February 2010

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HICLIP
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Sinuous Ridges Near Aeolis Mensae (PSP_002279_1735) The sinuous ridges could be former stream channels outcropping in inverted relief.	Crater Floor in Arabia Terra Region (PSP_001810_1825) Possible origins for the sediments include windblown debris or volcanic ash.	Evidence of Multiple Episodes of Gully Formation (PSP_001684_1410) Several of the gullies are extremely developed and incised, while others have very narrow, shallow channels.
DTM: Mojave Crater, the Rosetta Stone of Martian Craters? (PSP_001481_1875) Mojave no doubt gives us a glimpse of what a very large complex crater should look like on Mars.	Changes at the Site of a New Impact Cluster (ESP_016160_1870) Many of these impact sites are remarkably unchanged over several years time, but the site shown here has changed dramatically.

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New images for 10 February 2010

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Débris Flows on Mars (PSP_007033_1445) The impact that created Hale Crater smashed directly into Uzboi Vallis, a very large channel thought to have periodically transported hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of water.	Exhumed Layers Near the Nili Fossae (PSP_002176_2025) These layers likely formed very early in Martian history, but must have been rapidly buried due to the lack of overprinting impact craters.	Slope Streaks in Terra Sabaea (PSP_001808_1875) Slope streak formation is among the few known processes currently active on Mars.
Eroding Layers in an Impact Crater (PSP_001503_1645) In broad view, it is clear that the deposit is eroding into a series of ridges, likely due to the wind.	Layers in Olympus Mons Basal Scarp (PSP_001432_2015) Olympus Mons is a large shield volcano, like the Hawaiian volcanoes on Earth. Shield volcanoes have very shallow slopes and gentle eruptions.

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New images for 3 February 2010

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Central Uplifted Region of Crater in Phlegra Dorsa (PSP_010888_2030) Because the central uplifts of complex craters expose rocks and materials that originated deep below the surface, researchers can use these regions as possible "windows" to view the rocks beneath the surface.	Mojave Crater Floor and Central Uplift (PSP_002101_1875) A portion of the central uplift structure in Mojave Crater, which are a typical feature of large impact craters on Earth.	Frost Patch and Dunes in a Northern Hemisphere Crater (PSP_001700_2505) The frost patch visible here has been stable since the 1970 Viking landing-era.
Layered Deposits in Terby Crater (PSP_001662_1520) Terby hosts a very impressive sequence of predominantly light-toned layered deposits, up to 2.5 km thick.	Frost-Covered Dunes in the North Polar Region (PSP_001660_2570) Ripples on the dunes show that the wind patterns that formed them are complex.

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The most powerful camera aboard a NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars will soon be taking photo suggestions from the public.
Since arriving at Mars in 2006, the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, or HiRISE, camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has recorded nearly 13,000 observations of the Red Planet's terrain. Each image covers dozens of square miles and reveals details as small as a desk. Now, anyone can nominate sites for pictures.
Read more

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HiRISE has released digital terrain models (DTM) of the Martian surface.
The high resolution digital terrain models (DTM) were created from HiRISE stereo pairs.

Putative Salt Deposits in Terra Sirenum 19 Jan 2010	Dark Slope Streak with Streak-Generated Topography 19 Jan 2010	Rotational Landslides or Slumps Along Walls of Bahram Vallis 19 Jan 2010
Light-Toned Layering in Plains West of Juventae Chasma 19 Jan 2010	Ring and Cone Structures Plus Dunes and Other Landforms in Athabasca Valles 19 Jan 2010	Layering and Dark Mantle Along Tributary to Mawrth Vallis 19 Jan 2010
Eroded Scallops with Layers 19 Jan 2010	Layered Rock Outcrops in Southwest Candor Chasma 19 Jan 2010	North Polar Trough with Curved Exposure 19 Jan 2010
Potential New Gully Bright Deposits 19 Jan 2010	Mars Exploration Rover Landing Site at Gusev Crater 19 Jan 2010	Edge Along Gale Crater Interior Mound 19 Jan 2010

Dissected Wall of Mojave Crater 19 Jan 2010	Erosion of North Polar Layered Deposits 19 Jan 2010	Layers in Olympus Mons Basal Scarp 19 Jan 2010
Possible Opportunity Rover Landing Site 19 Jan 2010	Channels from Hale Crater 19 Jan 2010	Bright Layers in Columbus Crater 19 Jan 2010

Source

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New images for 20 January 2010

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New Craters on Mars (PSP_010200_1805) Although most of the craters HiRISE usually images are ancient, impact cratering is an ongoing process on the Martian surface.	Megabreccia in Toro Crater (PSP_007767_1970) Scientists think that megabreccia may have formed early in Mars' history during a period of frequent impact crater formation.	Shield Volcano with a Summit Caldera (ESP_016173_2005) Although there are a few truly giant shield volcanoes on Mars, there are also many smaller shield volcanoes.
Colourful Streaks (ESP_016136_1525) This is an image of the central pit of an impact crater in the ancient highlands.	Candidate Landing Site in NE Syrtis Major (ESP_015942_1980) This would be an excellent place to explore early Mars, when the environment may have been conducive to life.

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A"big announcement" is to be made by the Mars Reconnaissance orbiter team on the 20th January, 2010.

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New images for 13 January 2010

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Phoenix Lander in Springtime (ESP_016160_2485) With early spring at the Phoenix landing site comes the progressive sublimation of the carbon dioxide frost that has blanketed the lander.	Frost-Covered Dunes in Crater (ESP_016087_2595) On the floor of this crater where there are no dunes, the ice forms an uninterrupted layer.	Dune Symmetry (ESP_016036_1370) Dunes of sand-sized materials have been trapped on the floors of many Martian craters.
Contortions on the Floor of Hellas Basin (ESP_016022_1420) Materials appear to have flowed in a viscous manner, like ice.	Very Recent Impact Crater (ESP_015962_1695) Based on the HiRISE image, we suspect that the crater is more than several decades old.