* Astronomy

New images for 20 February 2008

Walpaper (ZIP): 800x600 1024x768 1152x864 1280x960 1600x1200 1920x1440 2048x1536
iPHONE 320x480

Dunes in West Arabia Terra Crater (PSP_006952_1870) These dunes are most likely composed of basaltic sand that has collected on the bottom of the crater.	Unravelling Part of Olympus Mons' Geologic History (PSP_006891_1970) While it is one of the youngest volcanoes on Mars, Olympus Mons has a complicated history.	A Dilly of a Crater (PSP_006841_1935) Dilly is what is commonly referred to as a butterfly crater, since the asymmetry of the ejecta gives the appearance of wings and hence, that of a butterfly.
Colorful Outcrops in Schiaparelli (PSP_006754_1790) The colours indicate different rock layers and wind-blown materials, and a varied and complex geologic history.	Clays in Mawrth Vallis (PSP_006742_2050) With enhanced colour, HiRISE can detect colour differences that indicate various minerals on the surface.	Scarps in Deuteronilus Mensae (PSP_006648_2255) Polygonal fractures, possibly formed by thermal cycles in ice-rich ground, are visible throughout this image.
Young Rampart Crater (PSP_006588_1615) Within the crater, we see evidence of landslides originating at the upper edges.	Winter Sunrise over Phoenix (PSP_006561_2485) A portion of the landing ellipse for the Phoenix Lander, touching down on Mars on 25 May 2008.	Proposed MSL Site in Mawrth Vallis (PSP_005964_2045)

-- Edited by Blobrana at 05:48, 2008-02-21

New images for 06 February 2008

Walpaper (ZIP): 800x600 1024x768 1152x864 1280x960 1600x1200 1920x1440 2048x1536
iPHONE 320x480

Terby Crater (PSP_006752_1525) As a possible landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory, Terby Crater was blasted into the northern rim of the gargantuan Hellas Basin by either an asteroid or comet impact.	Textured Surface in the Southern Part of Trumpler Crater (PSP_006734_1180) The surface is mantled by a deposit that is postulated to be largely a mix of dust and ice.	Small Cones North of Olympus Mons (PSP_006667_2150) Cones similar to these are found atop the freshest lava flows on Mars in Athabasca Valles.
Wrinkle Ridge in Solis Planum (PSP_006573_1560) This ridge is located in the Thaumasia region of Mars, a high-elevation volcanic plain located south of Valles Marineris.	HiRISE Student Image of the Week: Intersection of Hyblaeus and Elysium Chasmata (PSP_003545_2025) Steve Hallas class at Leap Academy Charter High School in Camden, NJ, suggested this image, a region near the intersection of Elysium Chasma and Hyblaeus Chasma.

New images for 30 January 2008

Walpaper (ZIP):800x600 1024x768 1152x864 1280x960 1600x1200 1920x1440 2048x1536
iPHONE 320x480

Possible Salt Deposits in Noachis Terra (PSP_006649_1615) Salt deposits typically form when water evaporates, suggesting that this might have once been an area favorable for life on Mars.	Potential Landing Site in Nili Fossae (PSP_006633_2010) Exposed clay minerals in this area may be the result of chemical reactions between hot water and rocks.	Clay Minerals in the Northwestern Bosporos Montes (PSP_006625_1405) Such minerals contain water and may have formed under conditions favorable for life.
Potential Landing Site Near Mawrth Vallis (PSP_006610_2035) This image shows a wide variety of scientifically interesting terrains as well as some potential hazards for landing.	Layering and Slope Streaks in Henry Crater (PSP_006569_1915) The layers represent the eroded remains of sedimentary rocks that formed from sediments deposited within the crater sometime after its formation.	Flooded Terrain in Terra Sabaea (PSP_006567_2220) Two distinctly different terrain types are visible in this image of the northern lowlands of Mars.
Sources of Basaltic Sand (PSP_006528_1120) Sand dunes are among the most prominent wind-formed features found on Mars.	Varied Aeolian Features in Arabia Terra (PSP_006504_1910) A particularly interesting aspect of this site is that there appears to have been multiple styles of wind activity.	Aurorae Chaos (PSP_005424_1700) Chaotic terrain is thought to form from subsurface collapse following volatile release.

Martian winds are more complex than previously thought.
Mars has an ethereal, tenuous atmosphere at less than 1 percent the surface pressure of Earth, so scientists working on The University of Arizona's High Resolution Imaging Experiment, or HiRISE, are challenged to explain the complex, wind-sculpted landforms they're now seeing in unprecedented detail.
The HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the most powerful camera to orbit another planet, can see 20-inch-diameter features while flying at about 7,500 mph between 155 and 196 miles above the Martian surface. HiRISE is giving researchers eye-opening new views of wind-driven Mars geology.

Read more