HiPOD 25 Sept 23: A Fan in a Low Latitude Crater

The objective of this observation is to examine a possible fan along the wall of an impact crater. Ridges coming from a valley on the wall may be inverted terrain. The crater floor contains a depression that displays layers; hence, there may have been a lake in the crater.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_074323_1560
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
#Mars #science #NASA

TOUCHDOWN! The #OSIRISREx sample capsule landed at the Utah Test and Training Range at 10:52am ET (1452 UTC) after a 3.86-billion mile journey. This marks the US's first sample return mission of its kind and will open a time capsule to the beginnings of our solar system.

HiPOD 23 Sept 23: A Layered Mound in Juventae Chasma

The light-toned mounds, like this one in Juventae Chasma, generally contain sulfates, which are salts of sulfuric acid that form when water is evaporating.

The darker material that we see is collecting near the base of the light-toned mound, and likely represents wind-blown debris.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_016712_1760
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
#Mars #science #NASA

HiRISE 3D: Deposits in Melas Chasma

This image was acquired as part of coverage for a candidate landing site for the Mars 2020 mission. There are possible interior layered deposits here.

https://www.uahirise.org/anaglyph/ESP_041292_1680_ESP_041938_1680_RED
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

OSIRIS-REx 101: Brush up on the basics before Bennu's sample touches down

https://news.arizona.edu/story/osiris-rex-101-brush-basics-bennus-sample-touches-down

HiPOD 22 Sept 23: A Candidate Landing Site in Hypanis Valles

This image w as acquired as part of a candidate landing site for the Mars 2020 mission to examine an exhumed, fluvial deltaic system in Xanthe Terra. The CRISM instrument on MRO was also requested for coverage to look at any correlation between the mineralogy and the deltaic deposits.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_041858_1920
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
#Mars #science #NASA

HiRISE 3D: Possible Sulfates in the Northeast Syrtis Major Region

In addition to the possible sulfates here, this area is of potential interest as a go-to destination for a future mission.

https://www.uahirise.org/anaglyph/ESP_041893_1975_ESP_041115_1975_RED
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

HiPOD 21 Sept 23: About a Pedestal Crater

This observation shows us a possible, rare example of an expanded primary crater, and other expanded crater clusters (likely secondaries). There seem to be few recent expanded craters, which is a key clue to the history of excess ice.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_041954_2270
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
#Mars #science #NASA

HiPOD 20 Sept 23: Channel Crossing

This observation targets a channel crossing a heavily eroded wrinkle ridge. On the south side of the wrinkle ridge, a dark-toned channel is inset within a light-toned material. The light-toned material may be related to the channel, such as altered primary minerals related to the presence of groundwater. This observation will evaluate the relationship between these two materials.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_074146_1485
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

HiPOD 19 Sept 23: Massifs on Layered Bedrock in Acidalia Planitia

This large platform in Acidalia Planitia contains a group of massifs. These massifs generally appear to be sitting on layered bedrock that may have been islands at one time. Understanding their formation will do much for helping to understand the wetter history of Mars as well as clues to the origins of these various and curiously shaped, tall, singular and grouped massifs.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_074113_2185
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
#Mars

HiRISE 3D: The Floor of Uzboi Vallis South of Nirgal Vallis

This shows the possible edge of a Nirgal Vallis deposit. The science goal is to look for evidence of spillway from Hale Crater flows into Uzboi.

https://www.uahirise.org/anaglyph/ESP_042082_1495_ESP_042016_1495_RED
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

HiPOD 18 Sept 23: Streamlined in Coracis Fossae

Also visible in Context Camera data, the objective of this observation is to examine streamlined forms in a narrow channel. The width of the channel is fairly constant and curves at points. Linear features in this region include both tectonic graben and fluvial channels.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_074195_1385
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
#Mars #science #NASA

HiPOD 16 Sept 23: A View of the Painted Desert near Mawrth Vallis

The clay-rich terrain surrounding Mawrth Vallis is one of the most scenic regions of Mars, a future interplanetary park. Here, we cut a long, oblique view into strips to see the full color coverage in more compact form.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_016394_2045
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

HiRISE 8K: Light-Toned Mesas near Mawrth Vallis

Similar HiRISE images of mounds around Chryse Planitia have revealed stunning and complex meter and decameter-scale stratigraphy.

Full cutout on Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/2p2PcPY

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
#Mars #science

HiPOD 15 Sept 23: Ridges in Nereidum Montes

We acquired this image to take a detailed look at rectilinear ridges near ice-rich material in Nereidum Montes. They could be ancient moraines. A moraine is material left behind by a moving glacier. This material is usually soil and rock.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_074128_1335
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
#Mars #science #NASA

HiRISE 3D: Traverse Ramp in East Coprates Chasma

“We are exploring rotorcraft mission concepts that would explore geology in Coprates Canyon, specifically low-calcium pyroxene which reflects pristine crustal material in this location.”

https://www.uahirise.org/anaglyph/ESP_079284_1640_ESP_079429_1640_RED
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

HiPOD 14 Sept 23: Monitoring Slopes in Gale Crater

The location of this observation is directly east of where the Curiosity rover is currently exploring. In this part of Gale Crater, there are some steep slopes with lineations we saw in previous images, so this is part of a series of observations to monitor occasionally to look for changes.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_074134_1750
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
#Mars #science #NASA

HiRISE 4K: A Smattering of Dunes

This observation was requested to gain more coverage of the eastern edge of an earlier image. The main goal is to quantify dune movement and topography over time.

Full cutout on Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/2p2Dm6M

HiRISE 3D: Down the Slope!

Today’s HiPOD also get the 3D treatment, with a look at part of the eastern wall of this impact crater.

https://www.uahirise.org/anaglyph/ESP_078195_1825_ESP_079474_1825_RED
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Uarizona
#Mars #science

HiPOD 13 Sept 23: Crater and Lava Fill in Elysium Planitia

This crater appears to have been mostly filled with lava, but there is no vent apparent within the crater: could it be invasive lava? In the eastern part there are many rafted-looking blocks that may have eroded off the crater wall. They don’t have the texture of (geologically) fresh lava. Many of them appear surrounded by moats, suggesting that the lava crust was strong enough to partially support them.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_078195_1825