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Mars

NASA's Curiosity Rover Captures 360-Degree View of Mars (space.com) 5

Space.com's Julian Dossett writes: For twelve years, we've watched Curiosity crawl its way over the rocky surface of Mars, decoding mysteries of the Red Planet and broadcasting back home pictures and data from the strange Martian environment. The Mars rover, built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), has slowly scaled Mount Sharp since 2014. This mountain, officially monikered "Aeolis Mons," was discovered in the 1970s; cut into its alien landscape is the boulder-packed Gediz Vallis channel, which some scientists believe to be an ancient river bed.

Curiosity crossed into Gediz Vallis earlier this year -- and, yesterday, JPL released a real treat for Mars lovers: a 360-degree panorama view of the Gediz Vallis channel. You can play the YouTube video and move your phone around for the nifty interactive feature. Or, if you're using a desktop PC, you can shift the video around with a mouse.
The panorama showcases features like Kukenan Butte and Gale Crater Rim, with scientists debating whether water, wind, or landslides shaped the boulder-laden terrain. Another interesting observation is the presence of mysterious sulfur stones with yellow crystals. Scientists are unsure about their origin since such formations on Earth are linked to hot springs and volcanoes -- neither of which are known to exist on Mars.

Curiosity is now heading toward a location called "the boxwork," a mineral-rich area potentially formed by ancient water flows.
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NASA's Curiosity Rover Captures 360-Degree View of Mars

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  • So the martians left after the hot springs dried up.
  • by Teun ( 17872 )
    This rover is doing great work.
    I'm trying to imagine what future craft can do and find.
    • This rover is doing great work. I'm trying to imagine what future craft can do and find.

      Find all the old probes and rovers and dust them off? :-)

  • such formations on Earth are linked to hot springs and volcanoes -- neither of which are known to exist on Mars.

    Wait, is this the same Mars that's home to Olympus Mons, famously the largest volcano in the solar system? Or are we talking about another "Mars" somewhere?

    The JPL press release phrases it differently: "on Earth, it's associated with volcanoes and hot springs, and no evidence exists on Mount Sharp pointing to either of those causes."

    I don't know if the erroneous statement came from JPL but wa

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