Astronomers Monitor Asteroid To Pass Near Mars

Astronomers funded by NASA are monitoring the trajectory of an asteroid estimated to be 164 feet wide that is expected to cross Mars' orbital path early next year.

The asteroid was initially being monitored by The Near Earth Object Observation Program, commonly called "Spaceguard,” to determine if any could be potentially hazardous to our planet. It was determined that the asteroid will not be a threat to earth but it may however, potentially impact mars.

Because of current uncertainties about the asteroid's exact orbit, there is a 1-in-75 chance of the asteroid impacting Mars. “We estimate such impacts occur on Mars every thousand years or so” said Steve Chesley, a scientist at JPL. If the asteroid were to collide with mars, it is calculated that it would hit at 30,000 mph and could create a crater over half a mile wide.

NASA Mars Rover Spirit Scouts "Home Plate" for Safe Haven

Monday, December 17, 2007

Spirit has arrived at the north edge of "Home Plate." The rover will spend the next few Martian days, or sols, scouting the edge of Home Plate and acquiring images of the slopes to determine the best site for "Winter Haven 3," where Spirit will try to survive another season of minimal sunlight. Once the team selects a site, Spirit will drive down the north-facing edge of Home Plate and maneuver into position to achieve the highest northerly tilt possible.

Power levels are dropping rapidly, partly because the sun continues its retreat north on its way to winter solstice, and partly because the landscape tilts slightly southward near the rim. Drive sols are so precious and few, the team has been working long hours and weekends to make the most of the remaining sunlight.

Orbiter explains bizarre Mars textures

High resolution images taken form the Mars reconnaissance orbiter are helping to explain some strange textures near the planets south pole.

Previously research had described the surface of the southern region, specifically Ithaca, as having spidery, lace-like, and lizard-skin texture.

the new images are leading researchers to believe that the lighter-colored patches are caused by frozen carbon dioxide

"The researchers think the jets contain gaseous carbon dioxide. When it bursts free, it expands and cools, and some is deposited as frost in the smudges. The
darker areas are believed to be composed of dust," NASA said.

Researchers believe that the carbon dioxide freezes in the winter and thaws in the summer. Subsequently, the gas travels upward, underneath the frozen caps, and carves channels along the way.

Mars Rovers Explore Possibility of Acidic Steam

As Spirit makes its way to a wintering spot, scientists are trying to make sense of a patch of nearly pure silica the rover found. The silica was so concentrated scientists believe steam must have been involved in ways similar to geologic formations seen on Earth called fumaroles which are seen in places like Hawaii and Iceland but are different from the mineral deposits seen in hot springs. While several possibilities exist for the formation of the silica patch, the presence of titanium is indicative of fumarole-type formation. Researchers are using both rovers now to look for signs of similar patches, with hope that a find by Opportunity, on the other side of the planet, will provide more general evidence for the role of water in the planet's past. The article can be found here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071212000742.htm

NASA and Other Nations Start Planning Mars Soil Return Mission

NASA and the space agencies of Europe, Canada, and Japan, to name a few, have begun preliminary work planning a Mars mission to return soil samples, set to launch in the next decade. The group recently met and is giving an open invitation to all space-faring nations to take part in the collaboration. The possibility of returning samples would allow scientists to do much more in depth analysis of soil composition and also testing for biological presence. The article gave no indication of a set timeframe for the mission.

plate tectonics

NASA scientists have created a map of Mars crustal magnetism using data collected by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. This high resolution magnetic field map covers the entire surface of Mars and displays "magnetic stripes" similar to what are found in the Earth's ocean basins. These stripes and other features are interpreted by NASA scientists as being evidence that Mars has undergone plate tectonics.

http://geology.com/news/2005/11/mars-geology-and-plate-tectonics.html

High Resolution Images of Noctis Labyrinthus

The High-Resolution Sterio Camera (HRSC) on board the Mars Express recently imaged the Noctis Labrinthus region. In the image above, the sun illuminates the image from the north-west. This area is located on the western edge of the Valles Marineris, the ‘Grand Canyon’ of Mars. Its name comes from the twisting, labyrinthine fractures and geography of the region. The Noctis Labrinthus is a complex example of a geological feature called a graben. This graben was formed by extensional tectonics and intense volcanic activity in the Tharsis region resulting in tectonic stress. The scene in the picture illustrates the intensely eroded 5000m deep incisions. Younger rock formations are visible on the upper edge of the graben. This image was also produced using a digital terrain model derived from the sterio channels of Mars Express.

Tests performed in a simulated cloud chamber here on Earth have revealed that Martian clouds may contain less water than previously estimated. Like some clouds above Earth, the Martian clouds being studied are also made of water ice. These clouds form at very low temperatures, sometimes below -100°C (-212°F). Scientists found that it was much more difficult for clouds to form at these temperatures, much harder than initially thought. In this laboratory simulation, the particles composing the clouds were quite large and quickly fell out of the atmosphere, resulting in less cloud mass and a drier atmosphere. It was previously thought that Martian clouds would form at 100% humidity, but this study shows that the air must be more supersaturated with water for clouds to form. This experiment provides insight into the climate of Mars and the operation of the Martian water cycle. It is know that the amount of water in the Martian atmosphere varies greatly over space and time. The amount of water that is transferred from the North Pole to the South Pole largely depends on atmospheric clouds.

Spirit Breaks Free

In the struggle to reach a winter location Spirit has managed one victory. Spirit broke free of some piles of soil that build up around the wheels. The Spirit still has a long struggle ahead trying to get to Winter Haven 3. It will go across the rocky and sandy terrain of Home Plate. This breaking free of the soil is significant because the last two drives only measured in centimeters while this drive was 11 feet. Good Job Spirit!

Mars and the search for traces of life- interviews

This article contains some of the most intellectuals individuals pertaining to Mars and the future of Mars exploration. It correlates features and land forms with possible life forms and provides different explanations for similar formations.

Geological features of Mars: a visual tour

This link from http://www.space.com/ provides a image slideshow of various geological features that have been discovered on the surface of Mars. It's pretty neat. Photos include..

* a picture of a crater with frozen ice inside

* Surface temperatures in the Rabe Crater

*Happy Crater

*Victoria Crater

*The caldera of Olympus Mons

*an impact crater

*Gusev Crater with salty lake

These photos give you a great tour of some famous Martian landmarks. The photos are all pretty good quality and a small description is provided.

Spirit suffers setbacks

Spirit is currently en route to its ‘Winter Haven’ on the north face of the Home Plate feature on the surface of Mars. The rover has unsuccessfully tried to navigate across a hummock of elevated terrain in order to reach the Winter Haven. It is critical that Spirit reaches Winter Haven while enough solar energy is available, and the rover has been spending every day driving rather than collecting data. In navigating the hummock, the rover slipped backwards 11.8 feet and scientists are currently strategizing the best possible route for Spirit. Once Spirit navigates this challenge, it will continue to collect data and geological information in the Home Plate area until the sunlight becomes too weak to sustain the solar panels.

The graben of Noctis Labrinthus

The High-resolution sterio camera continues to take detailed pictures of the Martian surface. Recently, the camera captured the region of Noctis Labrinthus, located on the western edge of the Valles Marineris (the Grand Canyon of Mars). The Noctis Labrinthus is an example of a ‘complex graben-system.’ This type of feature is formed by the action of extensional tectonics. Long ago, intense volcanic activity in the Tharsis region resulted in the creation of a bulge, which strained the tectonic plates. Thus, the surface crust thinned out, forming the graben structure that is visible today. A graben is typically a long, trench-like feature that is bordered by fault lines. (Fracture lines are clearly visible on the photo).

studying mars in your own back yard

Arizona State University planetary geologist Ron Greeley, Ph.D., has found one thing in common between Snake River Plain, Mars, Earth’s moon, Mercury, Venus, and Io (moon of Jupiter), He calls it “Plains Style Volcanism” which means the geology make up of the area is characterized by low shield volcanoes with broad, gentle slopes built by the eruption of basalt lava. He is using the Snake River Plain to find similarities between Mars and Earth.

Phoenix is already benefiting local education

The Phoenix spacecraft will pass the midpoint of its 423-million-mile journey Tuesday and is in great shape.In the meantime, the Empire team is studying the growth of a variety plants in various soils blended to approximate what the Martian surface is expected to be like, said Kuhn, 16, a junior. The actual composition and properties of Martian soil, determined after the Lander's scheduled arrival on Mars on May 25, will be compared to the soils tested in Tucson to find the one most similar. Researchers will be able to determine which, if any, plants might be grown on the planet to sustain manned missions, Kuhn said.

Spirit Spotted from Above

One of the orbiters around Mars spotter the rover Spirit on the surface. The rover is sitting on a land form named Home Plate as seen in the image below. The location of Spirit is indicated by the black ring.
This image helps to make connections to what the rover is finding in its search. Images support that Home Plate was created from a volcanic explosion. Spirit is getting ready to settle down for the winter in a place where it can soak up lots of sun light.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21980167/