Hello Fellow Amateur Astronomers!
Check out this Mars - 'WATER FOUND' article!
THE MARS ROVER 'OPPORTUNITY' makes AWESOME FIND AT ITS "new landing site"
The Mars Rover named "Opportunity" has found evidence that the original impact that created the Endeavour Crater released heated underground water which deposited zinc in fused-together rock fragments around the rim.
— Published: May 4, 2012
This color view of a mineral vein called "Homestake" comes from the panoramic camera (Pancam) on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. The vein is about the width of a thumb and about 18 inches (45 centimeters) long. Opportunity examined it in November 2011 and found it to be rich in calcium and sulfur, possibly the calcium-sulfate mineral gypsum. Homestake is near the edge of the "Cape York" segment of the western rim of Endeavour Crater.
Photo by NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/ASU
According to the May edition of "journalScience" details of the Mars Rover Opportunity made a discovery at the rim of the Mars Endeavour Crater.
The Mars Rover named Opportunity completed its original three-month mission on Mars eight years ago. According to scientists the rover reached the Endeavour crater last summer. Apparently, the being currently studied and analyzed is about 4 billion years old and 14 miles in diameter.
THE CRATER IS BEING EXAMINED FOR GYPSUM AND OTHER MINERALS BROUGHT TO THE SURFACE BY THE ORIGINAL IMPACT WHICH CREATED THE CRATER.
ACCORDING TO LEAD AUTHOR STEVE SQUYRES OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY OF ITHACA NEW YORK, and the principal investigator for Opportunity "These gypsum veins tell us about water that flowed through the rocks at this exact spot. It's the strongest evidence for water that we've ever seen with Opportunity." These bright mineral veins are different from anything seen previously on Mars, and they tell a clear story of water flowing through cracks in the rocks," said. "From landing until just before reaching the Endeavour rim, Opportunity was driving over sandstone made of sulfate grains that had been deposited by water and later blown around by the wind.
For the past few months the rover has been slow moving due to long martian winters and lack of sun to power its solar panels. However those who are following the rovers progress are anticipating more sun resulting in more movement coming soon.
Mineral on another part of the ridge of the currently watched Endeavor crater are thought to be from a non-acidic wet phase of the region's environmental history and these findings may provide further information supporting the 'proof of water' on Mars speculations.
Scientists running the exploration process of the rover are very happy and excited about the fruitful results of the latest rim findings.
As a sidenote: Originally there were two rovers sent out. Both rovers completed their three-month prime missions on Mars in April of 2004. Also both rovers did continue for years of highly successful extended bonus missions. The still operational rover called "Opportunity" is still sending back great data and new findings. However its rover twin, Spirit, stopped communicating in 2010.
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posted by Corinna B. at 6:58 PM
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