Rocknest (Mars)

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Rocknest
PIA16204-MarsCuriosityRover-Rocknest-20120928.jpg
Rocknest sand patch on Mars (September 28, 2012).
Feature typeSand patch
Coordinates 4°35′S137°26′E / 4.59°S 137.44°E / -4.59; 137.44

Rocknest is a sand patch on the surface of Aeolis Palus, between Peace Vallis and Aeolis Mons (Mount Sharp), in Gale crater on the planet Mars. The patch was encountered by the Curiosity rover on the way from Bradbury Landing to Glenelg Intrigue on September 28, 2012. The approximate site coordinates are: 4°35′S137°26′E / 4.59°S 137.44°E / -4.59; 137.44 .

Contents

The sand patch is downhill from a cluster of dark rocks. NASA determined the patch to be the location for the first use of the scoop on the arm of the Mars Curiosity rover. [1] The Rocknest patch is about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) by 5 m (16 ft).

Discovery and material analysis

On October 7, 2012, a mysterious bright object (image), discovered in the sand at Rocknest, drew scientific interest. Several close-up pictures (close-up 1) (close-up 2) were taken of the object and preliminary interpretations by scientists suggest the object to be "debris from the spacecraft". [2] [3] [4] Nonetheless, further images in the nearby sand have detected other bright particles (image) (close-up 1). These newly discovered objects are presently thought to be native Martian material. [2] [5] [6]

On October 17, 2012 at Rocknest, the first X-ray diffraction analysis of Martian soil was performed. The results from the rover's CheMin analyzer revealed the presence of several minerals, including feldspar, pyroxenes and olivine, and suggested that the Martian soil in the sample was similar to the weathered basaltic soils of Hawaiian volcanoes. [7]

On September 26, 2013, NASA scientists reported the Mars Curiosity rover detected "abundant, easily accessible" water (1.5 to 3 weight percent) in soil samples at the Rocknest region of Aeolis Palus in Gale Crater. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] In addition, NASA reported the rover found two principal soil types: a fine-grained mafic type and a locally derived, coarse-grained felsic type. [10] [12] [14] The mafic type, similar to other martian soils and martian dust, was associated with hydration of the amorphous phases of the soil. [14] Also, perchlorates, the presence of which may make detection of life-related organic molecules difficult, were found at the Curiosity rover landing site (and earlier at the more polar site of the Phoenix lander) suggesting a "global distribution of these salts". [13] NASA also reported that Jake M rock, a rock encountered by Curiosity on the way to Glenelg, was a mugearite and very similar to terrestrial mugearite rocks. [15]

Images

"Bright Particles" found by the Curiosity rover
at Rocknest (October, 2012) [2] [3]
PIA16225-MarsCuriosityRover-ScooperTest&MysteryObject-20121008a.jpg
"Bright Object"
MarsCuriosityRover-Raw-ChemCamRI-Sol62-20121008.jpg
BO Close-up 1
PIA16230.jpg
BO Close-up 2
PIA16229-MarsCuriosityRover-Sand-20121012.jpg
"Bright Particles"
PIA16233-MarsCuriosityRover-Sand-Closeup-20121015.jpg
BP Close-up 1
PIA16918-MarsCuriosityRover-RockNest-HiRezWB-20121116.jpg
Curiosity's view of the Rocknest area – South is center/North at both ends; Mount Sharp at SE horizon (somewhat left-of-center); Glenelg at East (left-of-center); rover tracks at West (right-of-center) (November 16, 2012, white balanced) (raw color) (interactives).
PIA16453-MarsCuriosityRover-RocknestPanorama-20121126.jpg
Curiosity's view from Rocknest looking eastward toward Point Lake (center) on the way to Glenelg Intrigue (November 26, 2012, white balanced) (raw color).

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mars Science Laboratory</span> Robotic mission that deployed the Curiosity rover to Mars in 2012

Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is a robotic space probe mission to Mars launched by NASA on November 26, 2011, which successfully landed Curiosity, a Mars rover, in Gale Crater on August 6, 2012. The overall objectives include investigating Mars' habitability, studying its climate and geology, and collecting data for a human mission to Mars. The rover carries a variety of scientific instruments designed by an international team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gale (crater)</span> Martian crater

Gale is a crater, and probable dry lake, at 5.4°S 137.8°E in the northwestern part of the Aeolis quadrangle on Mars. It is 154 km (96 mi) in diameter and estimated to be about 3.5–3.8 billion years old. The crater was named after Walter Frederick Gale, an amateur astronomer from Sydney, Australia, who observed Mars in the late 19th century. Mount Sharp is a mountain in the center of Gale and rises 5.5 km (18,000 ft) high. Aeolis Palus is the plain between the northern wall of Gale and the northern foothills of Aeolis Mons. Peace Vallis, a nearby outflow channel, 'flows' down from the hills to the Aeolis Palus below and seems to have been carved by flowing water. Several lines of evidence suggest that a lake existed inside Gale shortly after the formation of the crater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martian soil</span> Fine regolith found on the surface of Mars

Martian soil is the fine regolith found on the surface of Mars. Its properties can differ significantly from those of terrestrial soil, including its toxicity due to the presence of perchlorates. The term Martian soil typically refers to the finer fraction of regolith. So far, no samples have been returned to Earth, the goal of a Mars sample-return mission, but the soil has been studied remotely with the use of Mars rovers and Mars orbiters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mugearite</span> Volcanic rock type

Mugearite is a type of oligoclase-bearing basalt, comprising olivine, apatite, and opaque oxides. The main feldspar in mugearite is oligoclase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aeolis quadrangle</span> One of a series of 30 quadrangle maps of Mars

The Aeolis quadrangle is one of a series of 30 quadrangle maps of Mars used by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeology Research Program. The Aeolis quadrangle is also referred to as MC-23 . The Aeolis quadrangle covers 180° to 225° W and 0° to 30° south on Mars, and contains parts of the regions Elysium Planitia and Terra Cimmeria. A small part of the Medusae Fossae Formation lies in this quadrangle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water on Mars</span> Study of past and present water on Mars

Almost all water on Mars today exists as ice, though it also exists in small quantities as vapor in the atmosphere. What was thought to be low-volume liquid brines in shallow Martian soil, also called recurrent slope lineae, may be grains of flowing sand and dust slipping downhill to make dark streaks. While most water ice is buried, it is exposed at the surface across several locations on Mars. In the mid-latitudes, it is exposed by impact craters, steep scarps and gullies. Additionally, water ice is also visible at the surface at the north polar ice cap. Abundant water ice is also present beneath the permanent carbon dioxide ice cap at the Martian south pole. More than 5 million km3 of ice have been detected at or near the surface of Mars, enough to cover the whole planet to a depth of 35 meters (115 ft). Even more ice might be locked away in the deep subsurface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Composition of Mars</span> Branch of the geology of Mars

The composition of Mars covers the branch of the geology of Mars that describes the make-up of the planet Mars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Sharp</span> Martian mountain

Mount Sharp, officially Aeolis Mons, is a mountain on Mars. It forms the central peak within Gale crater and is located around 5.08°S 137.85°E, rising 5.5 km (18,000 ft) high from the valley floor. Its ID in the United States Geological Survey's Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature is 15000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aeolis Palus</span> Palus on Mars

Aeolis Palus is a plain between the northern wall of Gale crater and the northern foothills of Aeolis Mons on Mars. It is located at 4.47°S 137.42°E.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sample Analysis at Mars</span>

Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) is a suite of instruments on the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover. The SAM instrument suite will analyze organics and gases from both atmospheric and solid samples. It was developed by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the Laboratoire des Atmosphères Milieux Observations Spatiales (LATMOS) associated to the Laboratoire Inter-Universitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA), and Honeybee Robotics, along with many additional external partners.

<i>Curiosity</i> (rover) NASA robotic rover exploring Gale crater on Mars

Curiosity is a car-sized Mars rover exploring Gale crater and Mount Sharp on Mars as part of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. Curiosity was launched from Cape Canaveral (CCAFS) on November 26, 2011, at 15:02:00 UTC and landed on Aeolis Palus inside Gale crater on Mars on August 6, 2012, 05:17:57 UTC. The Bradbury Landing site was less than 2.4 km (1.5 mi) from the center of the rover's touchdown target after a 560 million km (350 million mi) journey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radiation assessment detector</span>

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) is an instrument mounted on the Mars Science Laboratory'sCuriosity rover. It was the first of ten instruments to be turned on during the mission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Mars Science Laboratory</span> Event timeline of the NASA Mars Science Laboratory mission

The Mars Science Laboratory and its rover, Curiosity, were launched from Earth on November 26, 2011. As of September 25, 2023, Curiosity has been on the planet Mars for 3959 sols since landing on August 6, 2012. (See Current status.)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CheMin</span>

CheMin, short for Chemistry and Mineralogy, is an instrument located in the interior of the Curiosity rover that is exploring the surface of Gale crater on Mars. David Blake, from NASA Ames Research Center, is the Principal Investigator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Matijevic (rock)</span> Rock on Mars

Jake Matijevic is a pyramidal rock on the surface of Aeolis Palus, between Peace Vallis and Aeolis Mons, in Gale crater on the planet Mars. The approximate site coordinates are: 4.59°S 137.44°E.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goulburn (Mars)</span> Outcrop on Mars

Goulburn, also known as Goulburn Scour, is a rock outcrop on the surface of Aeolis Palus, between Peace Vallis and Aeolis Mons, in Gale crater on the planet Mars. The outcrop was encountered by the Curiosity rover on landing at the Bradbury Landing on August 6, 2012 and is named after a two-billion year-old sequence of rocks in Northern Canada. The "approximate" site coordinates are: 4.59°S 137.44°E.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocknest 3</span> Martian rock

Rocknest 3 is a rock on the surface of Aeolis Palus, between Peace Vallis and Aeolis Mons, in Gale crater on the planet Mars. The approximate site coordinates are: 4.59°S 137.44°E.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemistry and Camera complex</span> Suite of remote sensing instruments for the Curiosity rover

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Eigenbrode</span> American astrobiologist

Jennifer Eigenbrode is an interdisciplinary astrobiologist who works at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. She specializes in organic chemistry, geology, and organic bio-geochemistry of martian and ocean-world environments.

References

  1. ↑ Wall, Mike (October 4, 2012). "Curiosity Rover to Scoop Up 1st Mars Samples This Weekend". Space.com . Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 Wall, Mike (October 18, 2012). "Yum! Curiosity Rover Swallows 1st Mars Sample, Finds Odd Bright Stuff". Space.com . Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Staff (October 15, 2012). "Small Debris on the Ground Beside Curiosity". NASA . Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  4. 1 2 Major, Jason (October 9, 2012). "Curiosity Finds…SOMETHING…on Martian Surface". UniverseToday . Retrieved October 9, 2012.
  5. ↑ Staff (October 18, 2012). "Bright Particle in Hole Dug by Scooping of Martian Soil". NASA . Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  6. ↑ Staff (October 15, 2012). "Bright Particle of Martian Origin in Scoop Hole". NASA . Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 Brown, Dwayne (October 30, 2012). "NASA Rover's First Soil Studies Help Fingerprint Martian Minerals". NASA . Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  8. ↑ Lieberman, Josh (September 26, 2013). "Mars Water Found: Curiosity Rover Uncovers 'Abundant, Easily Accessible' Water In Martian Soil". iSciencetimes. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  9. ↑ Leshin, L. A.; et al. (September 27, 2013). "Volatile, Isotope, and Organic Analysis of Martian Fines with the Mars Curiosity Rover". Science . 341 (6153): 1238937. Bibcode:2013Sci...341E...3L. doi:10.1126/science.1238937. PMID   24072926. S2CID   206549244.
  10. 1 2 Grotzinger, John (September 26, 2013). "Introduction To Special Issue: Analysis of Surface Materials by the Curiosity Mars Rover". Science . 341 (6153): 1475. Bibcode:2013Sci...341.1475G. doi: 10.1126/science.1244258 . PMID   24072916.
  11. ↑ Neal-Jones, Nancy; Zubritsky, Elizabeth; Webster, Guy; Martialay, Mary (September 26, 2013). "Curiosity's SAM Instrument Finds Water and More in Surface Sample". NASA . Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  12. 1 2 Webster, Guy; Brown, Dwayne (September 26, 2013). "Science Gains From Diverse Landing Area of Curiosity". NASA . Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  13. 1 2 Chang, Kenneth (October 1, 2013). "Hitting Pay Dirt on Mars". New York Times . Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  14. 1 2 Meslin, P.-Y.; et al. (September 26, 2013). "Soil Diversity and Hydration as Observed by ChemCam at Gale Crater, Mars". Science . 341 (6153): 1238670. Bibcode:2013Sci...341E...1M. doi:10.1126/science.1238670. PMID   24072924. S2CID   7418294 . Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  15. ↑ Stolper, E.M.; Baker, M.B.; Newcombe, M.E.; Schmidt, M.E.; Treiman, A.H.; Cousin, A.; Dyar, M.D.; Fisk, M.R.; Gellert, R.; King, P.L.; Leshin, L.; Maurice, S.; McLennan, S.M.; Minitti, M.E.; Perrett, G.; Rowland, S.; Sautter, V.; Wiens, R.C.; MSL ScienceTeam (2013). "The Petrochemistry of Jake_M: A Martian Mugearite" (PDF). Science . AAAS. 341 (6153): 1239463. Bibcode:2013Sci...341E...4S. doi:10.1126/science.1239463. PMID   24072927. S2CID   16515295. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-08-11. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
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