* Astronomy

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RE: Mars Reconnaissance orbiter

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HiRISE Images 6 August 2008

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New images for 6 August 2008

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Deposits in Electris (PSP_009029_1430) The Electris deposits occur over a range of landforms and the process responsible for their emplacement remain speculative.	Valley West of Ganges Chasma (PSP_009011_1705) Light-toned units along portions of the plains could be minerals deposited by the flowing water.	Layered Deposits within Unnamed Crater in Arabia Terra (PSP_008982_1965) In some cases, the layering is expressed as narrow sinuous ridge-like structures along crater floors.
Dark Lava Flow in Tharsis (PSP_008710_1710) The fluffy, blurry texture is a mantle of dust or ash that commonly coats volcanic regions on Mars.	Layered Outcrop in Gale Crater (PSP_008437_1750) Wind erosion has been an active process in Gale, modifying the layered deposits by creating sharp edges.

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HiRISE Images: July 30 2008

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New images for 30 July 2008

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MER Spirit Rover at Martian Mid-Winter (PSP_008963_1650) The MER Spirit rover at its location on the north edge of Home Plate in the Columbia Hills, taken on its 1,591st sol on Mars.	Layers Exposed Near the Mouth of Ladon Valles (PSP_008931_1590) Water flowing out of Ladon Valles appears to have ponded within Ladon basin, as evidenced by the numerous exposed layers.	Stair-Stepped Mounds in Meridiani Planum (PSP_008930_1880) This image shows layered sedimentary rocks that fill an impact crater in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars.
Dunes and Polygons (PSP_008839_2575) At high northern latitudes, shallow troughs in the ice-rich ground form polygonal patterns.	The Head of Athabasca Valles (PSP_008779_1905) Athabasca Valles has an interesting geologic history. It was probably carved by one or more catastrophic floods of water, but more recently, a flood of lava coursed through the channel system.

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HiRISE Images: 23 July 2008

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New images for 23 July 2008

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Split Slope Streak in Unnamed Crater in Arabia Terra (PSP_008942_1825) Most scientists believe that slope streaks are formed by the downslope movement of very dry, fine-grained dust, similar to an avalanche on Earth	Layered Outcrop in Gale Crater (PSP_008938_1750) The central mound of Gale Crater is of interest to scientists because its composed of light-toned layered deposits that extend higher than the rim of the crater.	Potential Mars Science Laboratory Landing Site: Nili Fossae Trough (PSP_008927_2010) Nili Fossae has diverse deposits, some containing phyllosilicates -- clay deposits which typically form in the presence of water.
Lava Flow Margin: Daedalia Planum (PSP_008869_1615) Lava flows are abundant in the region south and west of Arsia Mons and most of them appear like runny wax, especially in images that cover large areas at low resolutions.	Small Shield Volcano with the Caldera of Arsia Mons (PSP_008842_1705) Since the first details of the volcano were revealed by the Viking orbiters 30 years ago, the presence of a string of several small shield volcanoes across the floor of the caldera has been known.	Fuzzy-Looking Landscape Near Tharsis Montes (PSP_008829_1735) The image looks very flat and homogeneous; some parts of it may even appear out-of-focus at first.
Lava-Filled Crater in Elysium Planitia (PSP_008753_1880) The most puzzling aspect of this image is that the lava in the floor of the crater appears to have sunk down compared to its surroundings.

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HiRISE Images: 16 July 2008

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New images for 16 July 2008

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Light-Toned Layers in Crater Wall (PSP_008792_1410) The light-toned band may represent a well-defined layer of material within the crater walls.	Mystery Mounds (PSP_008778_1685) The central mystery here: how did the rocks form, and why did they erode onto mounds?	Layering and Inverted Streams (PSP_008774_1755) The layering and inverted streams may have once extended further, but have been destroyed by expansion of Juventae Chasma.
Cratered Cones in Utopia Planitia (PSP_008767_2055) The surrounding area of these features show they too, are battered by small impact craters and erosion.	Layered Rocks in Orson Welles Crater (PSP_008391_1790) Unraveling the history of these rocks helps provide a window into events in the Martian past.	Gully Alcoves at Very Top of Slope (PSP_007143_1370) These gullies near the top are deeper and originate in alcoves near the rim of the crater.
Central Peak Gullies (PSP_006162_1365) One idea is that water could have been trapped when the central peak formed, and ice melted later to form the gullies.

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Scientists running the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, known as HiRISE, on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have processed more details in an amazing image their camera captured as the Phoenix spacecraft descended through Mars' atmosphere during its landing on May 25, 2008.
New analysis has turned up what likely is Phoenix's heat shield falling toward Mars' surface, they conclude.

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