Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.
Profile image
Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

Opportunity Completes Walkabout Searching For Water On Mars

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.


Michael Harper for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

Though it may be hard to remember from time to time, NASA currently has 2 rovers meandering on the surface of Mars. The newest of the 2 rovers, Curiosity, famously landed on the surface of Mars this summer, but Opportunity has been scooting alone on Mars for nearly 9 years now. Today, NASA announced that Opportunity has just completed a walkabout of an area where scientists believe water might have once existed.

“If you are a geologist studying a site like this, one of the first things you do is walk the outcrop, and that’s what we’ve done with Opportunity,” explained Steve Squyres, Opportunity’s principal investigator at Cornell University in the NASA statement.

With this walkabout complete, Opportunity is now set to begin its next round of work, which means examining this area even further.

The area in question is known as Matijevic Hill, named in honor of Jacob Matijevic, the man who led the engineering team for the rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Spirit became immobile in 2009 and ceased communications in 2010.

During this walkabout, Opportunity had to drive over 1,000 feet in a counterclockwise pattern around Matijevic Hill during the October and November months. With this journey complete, Opportunity has now traversed some 22 miles of Martian landscape in its nearly 9 years on the Red Planet.

As the researchers were driving Opportunity around Matijevic Hill, they were taking observations and determining which parts of the area to begin further investigations.

“We’ve got a list of questions posed by the observations so far,” said Squyres.

“We did this walkabout to determine the most efficient use of time to answer the questions. Now we have a good idea what we’re dealing with, and we’re ready to start the detailed work.”

Matijevic Hill is located on the western rim of the Endeavor Crater, a Martian landmass featuring a 14-mile diameter bowl.

Astronomers believe this bowl was created when another celestial object collided with Mars some 3 million years ago. When the 2 bodies connected, it left a pockmark and flung rocks from deep within Mars to the surface of the planet. These rocks can now be found on the rim of Endeavor Crater and NASA plans to send Opportunity to investigate these rocks. As they’ve been on the surface for 3 million years, Opportunity’s deputy project scientist Diana Blaney says they’ve been altered by many centuries of environmental conditions. These rocks also originated well below the Martian surface, far deeper than Opportunity has been able to dig during its time there.

Blaney is excited about what Opportunity is still capable of doing on the Martian surface.

“Almost nine years into a mission planned to last for three months, Opportunity is fit and ready for driving, robotic-arm operations and communication with Earth,” said Blaney at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

NASA is looking at two outcrops of Matijevic Hill with particular interest: “Whitewater Lake” and “Kirkwood.”

According to NASA researchers, Whitewater Lake is composed of a material which could contain clay, a sign that water may have once existed on the surface. Kirkwood is made of small spheres with composition. Squyres calls these little spheres “newberries.”

“We don’t know yet whether Whitewood Lake and Kirkwood are from before or after the crater formed,” he said.

“One of the most important things to work out is the order and position of the rock layers to tell us the relative ages. We also need more work on the composition of Whitewater and debris shed by Whitewater to understand the clay signature seen from orbit, and on the composition of the newberries to understand how they formed.”

redOrbit.com
offers Science, Space, Technology, Health news, videos, images and
reference information. For the latest science news, space news,
technology news, health news visit redOrbit.com frequently. Learn
something new every day.\”


Source:


Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world. Anyone can join. Anyone can contribute. Anyone can become informed about their world. "United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.


LION'S MANE PRODUCT


Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules


Mushrooms are having a moment. One fabulous fungus in particular, lion’s mane, may help improve memory, depression and anxiety symptoms. They are also an excellent source of nutrients that show promise as a therapy for dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases. If you’re living with anxiety or depression, you may be curious about all the therapy options out there — including the natural ones.Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend has been formulated to utilize the potency of Lion’s mane but also include the benefits of four other Highly Beneficial Mushrooms. Synergistically, they work together to Build your health through improving cognitive function and immunity regardless of your age. Our Nootropic not only improves your Cognitive Function and Activates your Immune System, but it benefits growth of Essential Gut Flora, further enhancing your Vitality.



Our Formula includes: Lion’s Mane Mushrooms which Increase Brain Power through nerve growth, lessen anxiety, reduce depression, and improve concentration. Its an excellent adaptogen, promotes sleep and improves immunity. Shiitake Mushrooms which Fight cancer cells and infectious disease, boost the immune system, promotes brain function, and serves as a source of B vitamins. Maitake Mushrooms which regulate blood sugar levels of diabetics, reduce hypertension and boosts the immune system. Reishi Mushrooms which Fight inflammation, liver disease, fatigue, tumor growth and cancer. They Improve skin disorders and soothes digestive problems, stomach ulcers and leaky gut syndrome. Chaga Mushrooms which have anti-aging effects, boost immune function, improve stamina and athletic performance, even act as a natural aphrodisiac, fighting diabetes and improving liver function. Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules Today. Be 100% Satisfied or Receive a Full Money Back Guarantee. Order Yours Today by Following This Link.


Report abuse

    Comments

    Your Comments
    Question   Razz  Sad   Evil  Exclaim  Smile  Redface  Biggrin  Surprised  Eek   Confused   Cool  LOL   Mad   Twisted  Rolleyes   Wink  Idea  Arrow  Neutral  Cry   Mr. Green

    MOST RECENT
    Load more ...

    SignUp

    Login

    Newsletter

    Email this story
    Email this story

    If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

    If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.