Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Curiosity Reaches Massive Field of Spectacularly Rippled Active Martian Sand Dunes
universetoday.com ^ | 14 Dec , 2015

Posted on 12/14/2015 8:53:19 PM PST by BenLurkin

The dark dunes, named the "Bagnold Dunes," skirt the northwestern flank of Mount Sharp and lie on the alien road of Curiosity's daring trek up the lower portion of the layered Martian mountain.

Today, Dec 14, Curiosity is exploring a spectacular spot dubbed the "Namib Dune" shown in our new photo mosaic above.

Ascending and diligently exploring the sedimentary lower layers of Mount Sharp, which towers 3.4 miles (5.5 kilometers) into the Martian sky, is the primary destination and goal of the rovers long term scientific expedition on the Red Planet.

...

Before crossing the dune field, the team is conducting mobility tests by carefully driving Curiosity just "a few meters into the dark sand in front of the rover, then back up enough to allow study of the rover tracks using the arm instruments," said Ken Herkenhoff, Research Geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center and an MSL science team member.

The mobility tests at 'High Dune' have gone well.

(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: bagnolddunes; curiosity; mars; mountsharp; space
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-24 last
To: SunkenCiv

Wow. From this to Curiosity in my lifetime!


21 posted on 01/19/2016 1:08:07 PM PST by colorado tanker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

What they said at the time was a Martian could walk right up to a Viking lander, and the lander would never know,


22 posted on 01/19/2016 1:43:40 PM PST by sparklite2 ( "The white man is the Jew of Liberal Fascism." -Jonah Goldberg)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: colorado tanker

I know the feeling. In my case, it’s from “the maps just show a coincidence,” to plate tectonics. And from canals on Mars to actual landings. I remember the first close up pictures of the moon that were radioed back to earth just seconds before the rocket slammed into the lunar surface which was not, sorry sci-fi, covered in dust.


23 posted on 01/19/2016 1:47:18 PM PST by sparklite2 ( "The white man is the Jew of Liberal Fascism." -Jonah Goldberg)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: sparklite2

I don’t know if my high school was behind but I had never heard of plate tectonics until I took a college geology course. It was one of the true Aha! moments in my life.


24 posted on 01/19/2016 1:55:43 PM PST by colorado tanker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-24 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson