Mars' layered geologic past is revealed in stunning detail in new color images sent by NASA's Curiosity rover on September 8, 2016, which this moment studies the Murray Buttes Hills in the lower region of Mount Sharp. Photos can compete with views of US national parks. The team of scientists plans to assemble several large, colorful mosaics from a large number of images taken in one place on Mars.

The multilevel geological past of the Red Planet is revealed remarkably in detailed photos taken by the rover on September 8.

"The Curiosity science team was excited about the American desert tour on Mars," said Curiosity project scientist Ashwin Vasawada of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

In the transmitted images, you can see the Martian hills and layered mountains, which are gradually getting rid of the remnants of ancient sandstone.

Exploring these hills at a close distance allowed us to learn more about ancient sand dunes that were buried, chemically altered by groundwater, resurfaced from underground, and then collapsed to make the landscape we see today, Vasavada said.

The new images illustrate Curiosity's final stop in the Murray Buttes Hills, where the rover has been for just under a month. On September 9 of this year, the rover began its last drilling campaign. Once this drilling is completed, Curiosity will continue south and up Mount Sharp, leaving these spectacular structures behind. Curiosity landed near Mount Sharp in 2012 and reached its base in 2014 after successfully confirming the existence of microbes in Martian lakes. The layers that form the base of Mount Sharp have accumulated from the deposits of ancient lakes that existed billions of years ago.

On Mount Sharp, Curiosity investigates how and when the positive climate of Mars gave way to dry and uninhabitable conditions.

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Fine-layered rocks in the Murrey formation layer of Mt. Sharpe (Mount Aeolis, Aeolis Mons). Credit: NASA.

Since its deployment in 2012 to the surface of Mars, it has sent back many spectacular images of the Red Planet. In addition to photographing the Earth from the surface of Mars, not to mention a few wonderful ones, the rover also took countless photographs showing geological structure and features of the surface of Mars in great detail.

And with the latest photos released by NASA, the Curiosity rover has given us a great view of the "Murrey Buttes" region at the bottom of Mount Sharp. These images were taken by Curiosity on September 8th and provide an excellent insight into the geological history of the region.

With these photos, the Curiosity team hopes to put together another colorful mosaic that gives a detailed look at the region's rocks and desert landscape. As you can see from the photos provided, the region is characterized by plateaus (measles) and remnants, which are the eroded remains of ancient sandstone. Much like other locations around Mount Sharp, this area is of particular interest to the Curiosity team.

Rolling hills and layered rock outcrops in the Murray Formation of Mount Sharpe. Credit: NASA.

Over the years, scientists have realized that the layers of rock that form the base of Mount Sharp were accumulated as a result of sediment deposited on the bottom of the ancient lake billions of years ago. In this regard, geological formations are similar to those found in the desert regions of the southwestern United States.

Alvin Vasawada, Curiosity Program Scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said:

The "Murrey Buttes" region of Mars is reminiscent of areas of the US Southwest due to its remnants and mesas. In both areas, thick sediment layers were carried by wind and water, eventually creating a "layer cake" of rock that was then subjected to erosion when conditions have changed. In both places, layers of more stable sandstone cover the mesas and remnants, as they protect the more easily eroded, fine-grained rock beneath."

"Like Monument Valley near the border between Utah and Arizona, Murrey Buttes has only small remnants of these layers that once completely covered the surface. Both places had sand dunes driven by the wind, the same that now appears like criss-cross layers of sandstone. There are, of course, many differences between Mars and the American Southwest. For example, there were large inland seas in the southwest, while lakes existed in the southwest."

These sedimentary layers are believed to have been laid down over 2 billion years, and may have completely filled the crater one day. Since lakes and streams are believed to have existed in Gale Crater 3.3-3.8 billion years ago, some of the lower sedimentary layers may have originally been deposited at the bottom of the lake.

A finely bedded hillside outcrop in the Murray Formation at the bottom of Mount Sharp. Credit: NASA.

For this reason, the Curiosity team also collected drill samples from the Murrey Buttes area for analysis. It started on September 9 after the rover finished photographing the surroundings. As Vasavada explained:

"The Curiosity team drills regularly while the rover climbs Mount Sharp. We drill into the fine-grained rock that occurred in the lakes in order to see how the chemistry of the lake, and therefore the environment, has changed over time. Curiosity drilled coarse-grained sandstone , forming the upper layers of the remnants as the rover crossed the Naukluft Plateau earlier this year."

Once drilling is completed, Curiosity will continue south and up Mount Sharp, leaving these beautiful formations behind. These photos show Curiosity's last stop at Murrey Buttes, where the rover has spent the past month.

By September 11, 2016, Curiosity had spent only 4 years and 36 days (1497 days) on the planet Mars since .

One has to wonder how people with the help of pareidolia are going to interpret all this? After "seeing" a rat, a lizard, a donut, a coffin, etc., what is left? May I assume that the photo above looks like a column statue?

The title of the article you read Stunning new images of Mars from the Curiosity rover.

The existence of extraterrestrial life has worried mankind since ancient times. The solar system was the first place where scientists hoped to find living organisms. With the development of science, it was possible to find out what is the most likely life on mars. The legends of antiquity, supported by scientific facts and photos of Mars, indicate that the existence of life outside the Earth is possible.

Red Planet Mystery

Today, the planet Mars is being actively explored. The news refers to strange finds, inexplicable images. A trip to Mars is planned soon, which will either finally debunk the myth of extraterrestrial life, or confirm its existence in the solar system. The significant distance to Mars makes the expedition long and difficult, you can read about the preparation for it on our website. The available videos of Mars are food for thought about the structure of the World.

News about Mars are not only NASA reports, but also mysterious, inexplicable riddles. The most famous images of Mars contain an incredible picture: the geolandscape in one direction clearly resembles a human face, nearby are pyramids, similar in structure to the pyramids in Egypt. The monolith on Phobos, the Angara, the mysterious finds of the rover, the amazing forms of the landscape are some of the facts that have not been fully explored and cause heated debate.

Researchers of the unidentified claim that there was life on Mars. Assumptions about the connection of the culture and technologies of Ancient Egypt with the race that previously inhabited Mars have impressive evidence. The current interest of official astronomy in Mars presents new mysteries, the answers to which you will find in this section.

This year has been a good year for NASA's Martian Surface Robot, which has taken some stunning photos of the Red Planet over the past 12 months.

Since August 2012, the Curiosity rover has been making its way across the Martian surface, gaining new information about environment. Where are the streams of water? Was there life here? And what happened in Gale Crater and Mount Aeolis? Now that the rover is in the lower mountain, it has captured some spectacular shots of dunes, rocks, and even a meteorite. Here are the most remarkable shots.

Dunes

Grab your 3D glasses and enjoy this 13ft Martian dune! The Namib Dune has become part of the study of active sand dunes (they migrate rapidly every year). The Namib is part of the Bagnold Dunes region, which move one meter a year.

"Like on Earth, downwind, sand dunes have a steep slope called a sliding edge," NASA said in a statement. “Sand grains blow from the windward side, creating mounds, which then, like an avalanche, fall down. Then the process is repeated."

sandy selfie

This is another view of the Bagnold Dune region taken by the rover from the front. It's not just a cool shot. It allows NASA engineers to monitor the state of the device. For example, the first cause for concern was how quickly the wheels of the rover wore out. NASA started driving on nasty ground, which slowed down the wear rate.

bumps

The Martian rock is an interesting thing to study, as it tells a lot of useful information about the geological history of the planet. Here you can see some sandstone outcroppings inside the Murray Geological Block. For some reason, these formations seem to have stopped the erosion.

"The site is located in the lower area of ​​Mount Sharp, where mudstones from the Murray Block (visible in the lower right corner) are exposed adjacent to the overlying Stimson Block," NASA said in a statement. “The exact line of contact between the two blocks is covered with windblown sand. Most of the other parts of the Stimson Block did not show the presence of erosion-resistant nodules."

rocks

This magnificent panorama (including the shadow of the apparatus on the right) shows the Naukluft Plateau at the bottom of Mount Sharp. Curiosity took a series of images on April 4, so that geologists were able to understand the entire region (rock history).

“Since landing, the rover has passed through terrain with aquatic sedimentary rocks (mudstones and siltstones, as well as accumulations in the early stages), some of which contained minerals such as clay, indicating the ancient presence of water,” says NASA. “But on the new plateau, the rover found itself in a completely different geology. The sandstone here represents thick layers of windblown sand, suggesting that these deposits formed in a drier era.”

Ripples and dust

Even the ripples on Mars are different. The largest ripples in the image are 10 feet apart. You won't see this on Earth. Although the small ones still resemble ours. This image was taken in December 2015 at the Bagnold dune field. The images were immediately sent to Earth for publication, but sometimes it takes months to upload to get a better look.

“The footage was taken in the early morning with a camera facing the Sun,” NASA writes. “This mosaic image has been processed to make the ripples more visible. The sand is very dark because of the morning shadows and the inner darkness of the minerals that dominate its composition.”

Autonomous Piu Piu

Bye laz
Black robot gunfire looks a little intimidating on Earth, it has been used peacefully on Mars. The rover selects targets for laser analysis using a software program. So, if the device is in the right place, it can get to work while scientists try to orient themselves. On the left frame you see the goal before the procedure, and on the right - the result.

“The ChemCam laser spectrometer erases a grid of nine points on a stone selected according to specified criteria. In this case, it was necessary to find a bright exposed stone, and not dark rocks. Within 30 minutes after the Navcam received the image, the laser completed the task on the target area.

rocky beauty

What at first glance looks like a random assortment of Murray Buttes hill rocks actually says a lot about the long history of ancient Mars. While the planet is dominated by wind erosion, the image shows important processes for the past. The apparatus also found evidence of water erosion on higher areas Sharp Mountains.

“These are the remains of ancient sandstone created by wind-set sand after the formation of Lower Sharp Mountain. The cross bedding indicates that the sandstone was blown by a migrating dune."

Vision of the future

The picture was taken in late 2016, showing the view from the rover, including where it is heading next. The orange rock is the lower part of Mount Sharp. Above it is a layer of hematite, even higher is clay (hard to see here). The rounded hills are a block of sulfate where Curiosity plans to head. Farther away are the high slopes of the mountain. The rover will be able to see them, but will not drive close.

“The variety of colors hints at the difference in the composition of the mountain. Violet has already been noticed in other rocks in which hematite has been found. This season the winds don't blow much sand and the rocks are relatively free of dust (which can obscure the color)."

alien visits

You can't even imagine how cool it is! A man-made rover surfs an alien planet and stumbles upon an alien object. You see a nickel-iron meteorite about the size of a golf ball. It was called "stone egg". “This is a general class of space rocks that have been found more than once on Earth. But on Mars, we found this for the first time. It was examined using a laser spectrometer."

Path through history

This is the path Curiosity has taken until November 2016. On the left are images of the drilled holes where the rover extracted 15 samples of the rocky powder. This helps to better understand the history of Mars, which is used for future missions. In the 2030s, NASA hopes to send a human team and reconnaissance vehicles. The mission also includes the return to Earth and the delivery of samples.

On August 7, 2012, Curiosity, a complex 900-kilogram rover equipped with the latest technology, began working on the surface of Mars. In the future, Curiosity may become one of the most successful space missions: the scientific equipment on board is designed to study in detail the geological history of Mars and shed light on the question of life on this still mysterious planet. Despite the fact that the main work of the apparatus will end after 668 Martian days, in total Curiosity is capable of operating for at least 14 years

Typical Martian landscape during the day

Part of the Gale crater mosaic

Track from the Curiosity wheel on the sand of Mars

Sand, dust and stone called Burwash. The image was taken at a distance of 11.5 cm from the stone, the size of the image is 7.6 by 5.7 cm

A sandbank from which Curiosity took soil samples. On the left, we see a raw image of a dune, showing what it looks like on Mars, whose skies often have a reddish tint due to a lot of dust. On the right, the image has been processed to show what the same area would look like on Earth. The size of the rounded stone above the center of the image is about 20 cm

"Blueberry" - small spherical inclusions in the Martian soil. The balls are about 3 mm in size, they contain a large amount of red iron ore, which is formed in the presence of water.

The picture shows the bottom of the apparatus, all six wheels and the tracks left by them. In the foreground are two pairs of black and white HAZCAM navigation cameras.

Curiosity has just climbed Rocknest Dune to take the first soil samples from the Red Planet. The picture was taken on October 3, 2012, on the 57th day of operation of the device

The MAHLI camera looks at the Curiosity wheel.

Morning on Mars

Dark gray Martian rock. The image was taken with a MAHLI camera from a distance of 27 cm. The image area is 16 by 12 cm, and the resolution is 105 microns per pixel. Despite its impressive clarity, scientists have not been able to resolve the granules or crystals that make up the stone.

The "pyramid" on Mars is a rock dubbed Jake Matijevic. The picture was taken on September 21, 2012.

Studying the "Pyramid" at close range. Chemical analysis The stone showed that it is rich in alkali metals, as well as halogens - chlorine and bromine. Judging by the spectrum, this stone is a mosaic of individual grains of minerals, including pyroxene, feldspar and olivine. In general, the composition of the stone is very atypical for Martian stones.

Color image of the "pyramid" on Mars. The image has been white-balanced to reveal differences in inclusions on the stone.

On the 55th day of stay on Mars. The focus of Curiosity is a sandy deposit called Rocknest, from the slope of which the rover took the first soil samples.

Remains of an ancient stream bed on Mars. The fact that water once flowed in this place is evidenced by many pieces of gravel and stone, which have a smooth rounded shape. In addition, the size of some of these pebbles suggests that they could only be carried by a stream of water. The rock, chipped like a broken pavement, is of sedimentary origin.

Looking back on the path

Evening on Mars. The picture was taken on day 49 of Curiosity.

The Martian rock, named Et-Then by scientists. The picture was taken by the MAHLI (Mars Hand Lens Imager) camera on October 29, 2012, on the 82nd day of Curiosity's stay on the Red Planet. The rock was photographed from a distance of 40 cm, the width of the image is only 25 cm. Et-Zen was found near the left front wheel of the device when Curiosity was preparing to take soil samples at Rocknest

Stones on Mars. Mosaic taken by the MAHLI camera on the 76th day of Curiosity's stay on the Mysterious Planet