[meteorite-list] Curiosity Sends High-Resolution Color Images from Gale Crater

[Ron Baalke]

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2012-239

Curiosity Sends High-Resolution Color Images from Gale Crater
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
August 11, 2012

[Images]
    * First Hi-Res Color Mosaic of Curiosity's Mastcam Images
    * Wall of Gale Crater
    * Mount Sharp on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity
    * Exposed by Rocket Engine Blasts


NASA's Curiosity rover has shipped back to Earth high-resolution 
color images of its surroundings on Mars, sharpening our views of an intriguing 
channel, layered buttes and a layer of cobbles and pebbles embedded in 
a finer matrix of material. The images show a landscape closely resembling 
portions of the southwestern United States, adding to the impression gained 
from the lower-resolution thumbnail images released earlier this week.

The 79 images that went into the large mosaics were taken on Aug. 8, 2012 
PDT (Aug. 9, EDT) by Curiosity's 34-millimeter Mastcam. The black areas 
indicate high-resolution images not yet returned by the rover.

The full-resolution images are available at: http://www.nasa.gov/msl and 
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/images/ .

Curiosity sent lower-resolution versions of these images earlier in the week. The 
latest versions, sent while Curiosity was undergoing a software "brain 
transplant" and pausing in its acquisition of new science data, are 1,200 
by 1,200 pixels.

In one version of the large mosaic, the colors portrayed 
are unmodified from those returned by the camera. The view is what a cell 
phone or camcorder would record, since the Mastcam takes color pictures 
in the exact same manner that consumer cameras acquire color images. The 
second version shows the colors modified as if the scene were transported 
to Earth and illuminated by terrestrial sunlight. This processing, called 
"white balancing," is useful for scientists to be able to recognize and 
distinguish rocks by their color in more familiar lighting.

Smaller mosaics of some of the areas most interesting to science team members 
are also available. One shows a section on the crater wall north of the landing 
site, where a network of valleys believed to have formed by water erosion 
enters Gale Crater from the outside. This is the first view scientists 
have had of a fluvial system - one relating to a river or stream - from 
the surface of Mars.

A second section of the mosaic looks south of the landing site, towards Mount 
Sharp, a peak that is about 3.4 miles (5.5 kilometers) high and taller than 
Mt. Whitney in California. This provides an overview of the eventual geologic 
targets Curiosity will explore in the next two years. Close by is a rock-strewn, 
gravelly surface. Farther away is a dark dune field, and beyond that lie the 
layered buttes and mesas of the sedimentary rock of Mount Sharp.

Another section of the mosaic shows an area excavated by the blast of the Mars 
Science Laboratory's descent stage rockets. With the loose debris blasted away 
by the rockets, details of the underlying materials are clearly seen. Of 
particular note is a well-defined, topmost layer that contains fragments of 
rock embedded in a matrix of finer material.

Curiosity continues to be very healthy, 
with all instruments and engineering subsystems operating as planned. 
There are no science or instrument activities planned on Sol 5. Last night, 
the new flight software, which is optimized for surface operations, was 
tested for the first time and successfully executed all planned Sol 5 
rover activities. The test demonstrated that the new software is ready 
to support the upcoming surface operations mission phase. After an afternoon 
nap, Curiosity then returned to operating on its previous flight software, 
as planned. The rover's primary main computer will be permanently transitioned 
to the new flight software on Aug. 13.

Veronica McGregor/Guy Webster 
818-354-9452/818-354-6278
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
veronica.mcgregor at jpl.nasa.gov / guy.webster at jpl.nasa.gov

2012-239