NASA’s Curiosity rover – Astronomy Now

Martian dust storm makes presence known in Gale Crater

22 June 2018 Astronomy Now

The global dust storm now blanketing Mars that has at least temporarily sidelined the solar-powered Opportunity rover also is dimming the sky above Gale Crater where the Curiosity rover is hard at work

Curiosity rover finds more evidence of Martian habitability

8 June 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has detected a wide range of organic compounds on the red planet along with signs of seasonal variations in background methane levels, a possible indicator of biological activity.

Curiosity once again drilling into Mars rocks after long hiatus

24 May 2018 Astronomy Now

The drill at the end of the Curiosity Mars rover’s robot arm is back in action after being sidelined for more than a year by a mechanical problem. A new technique was successfully tested 20 May after months of engineering tests on Earth.

Curiosity Mars rover snaps a selfie

2 February 2018 Astronomy Now

The Curiosity Mars rover used a camera on the end of its robot arm to take a selfie on the slopes of Mount Sharp before moving on to begin exploring nearby clay-rich soils. The rover is slowly working its way up the lower slopes of the mountain, looking for changes that might indicate the transition from warmer, wetter eras to the dry, frigid environment seen today.

Curiosity snaps spectacular Mars panorama

31 January 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover sends back a spectacular panorama showing its path across the floor of Gale Crater from its landing site to its current perch on the slopes of Mount Sharp.

Mars rover’s panorama of entrance to ‘Murray Buttes’

21 August 2016 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover acquired this 360-degree panorama as it neared features called “Murray Buttes” on lower Mount Sharp on the fourth anniversary of its landing.

Martian surface revealed in unprecedented detail

26 April 2016 Astronomy Now

The surface of Mars — including the location of Beagle-2 — has been shown in unprecedented detail by University College London scientists using a revolutionary image stacking and matching technique. The UCL researchers used the Super-Resolution Restoration (SRR) process to reveal objects at a resolution up to five times greater than previously achieved.

Picture perfect postcard from Mount Sharp, Mars

3 October 2015 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars is currently on the lower slopes of Mount Sharp in a region covered in sandstone where it has just drilled its fifth prospecting hole. Two weeks ago, still in the same general vicinity, Curiosity took a pair of long-range scenic images toward higher regions of the mountain — beautiful views worthy of a postcard home.

NASA confirms evidence that liquid water flows on today’s Mars

28 September 2015 Astronomy Now

New findings from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) provide the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day Mars. Using an imaging spectrometer on MRO, researchers detected signatures of hydrated minerals on slopes where mysterious darkish streaks that appear to ebb and flow over time are seen on the Red Planet.