The Mars Report - April 7th, 2014

[caption id="attachment_2676" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Martian Northern Hemisphere & North Pole[/caption]

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Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. I hope that everyone is having a Good Monday, a great start for a wonderful week. I am most pleased to announce that I have a rather nice batch of images, from Mars, to share with you today. Now, I will be the first to admit, they are not as stellar (did you get that?) as my offerings last week. Our intrepid adventurer the rover, Curiosity, has made progress and has arrived at the next waypoint, the Kimberly.

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Ok, I kind of got things bass-ackwards. Let me tell you about the image above. This article opened with an spectacular image of the northern hemisphere of Mars, showing the Martian North Pole. My Dear Readers, until the 14^th of this month, you can get a better look at Mars than anytime since 2008. For, you see, Mars is only 56 million miles from Earth for the next week. That is less than 1/5 of the greatest distance Mars travels away from us, at 256 million miles.

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You see, My Dear Readers, Mars has always held a special fascination for me. Even as a boy, looking through a telescope I made with paper towel cardboard tubes and lenses from a broken pair of binoculars, I would spend hours looking up at the Martian surface. Granted I could not make out more than patches of dark and, in the spring, the glow of the northern pole. This great red orb in the sky fascinated a young Danny. I had always hoped to own a better telescope.

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Now, I spend hours upon hours viewing images at NASA and JPL. Devouring all that I can read, see and glean Mars still captures my fascination and imagination. You now know my reason for ‘The Mars Report’, eh? Having said, let’s get started with today’s images, and the stories they tell.

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As I mentioned, above, Curiosity’s next waypoint is the Kimberly. Our next image, for today, is from Curiosity’s ‘NavCam’ (Navigational Camera) on the 588^th Martian day, or Sol day. This position was picked as a vantage point for extensive viewing of the various rock types. In the background, the horizon of this image, are the primary science destinations for this mission. The lower slope of Mount Sharp. In the coming weeks, and months, watch with me as this destination gets closer and closer.

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[caption id="attachment_2673" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Curiosity's View From Before Final Approach to 'The Kimberley' Waypoint[/caption]

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In our last edition of ‘The Mars Report’ I shared a map showing the journey, so far. Today I have a similar offering, for our next image. The image below was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. There were two images, to choose from, showing this path. One was in black and white, the other was in color. I picked the color image for today’s publication. So, here is a nice splash of color for your enjoyment.

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[caption id="attachment_2675" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Map of Curiosity Mars Rover's Drives to 'the Kimberley' Waypoint[/caption]

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Oh, what the heck, I looked at the black and white image and it shows a lot more of the journey Curiosity has made so far. Therefore, below is a large image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Showing several of the pervious waypoints, this image gives us a better idea of just how far our intrepid rover, Curiosity, has driven.

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[caption id="attachment_2671" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Curiosity Mars Rover's Route from Landing to 'The Kimberley' Waypoint[/caption]

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The next to the last image, for today’s edition of ‘The Mars report’ I give you ‘The Kimberly’ waypoint. This image was taken on Martian Day number 589, April 2^nd, 2014. Taken by Curiosity’s navigational camera (NavCam) shortly after arrival this image marks a major accomplishment. The center of the image shows an outcrop called "striated" by the project scientists.

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[caption id="attachment_2672" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Curiosity's View From Arrival Point at 'The Kimberley' Waypoint[/caption]

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The final image… well, I have saved the very best image for the very last image. Taken from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter this spectacular image is of a recently made crater in the Martian surface. The very center of this crater measures 100 feet in diameter (30 meters) and appears blue in this image. The bluish color is due to the fact that all the red soil, customary to the Martian surface, was ejected on impact. The explosion created the blast area seen around the center crater. This blast zone is several miles in diameter, and the blast threw ejecta (the term used for displaced soil in a crater) as far as 9.3 miles.

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[caption id="attachment_2670" align="aligncenter" width="630"] A Spectacular New Martian Impact Crater[/caption]

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That brings us, My Dear Readers, to the conclusion of this week’s edition of ‘The Mars Report’. I hope that you all have enjoyed the images I have shared, here today. I look forward to any comments or suggestions. If images from space strike your fancy? Then drop back by, later in the week, for this week’s edition of ‘Lost in Space’.

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Until then, I hope that everyone has a great beginning of their week. Come back often, as I plan to have a full week of material, stories and more images from space. Thank you for your time and your support.

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[caption id="attachment_2677" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Martian Southern Pole[/caption]

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Thank you!

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[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="234"] The Other Shoe eBay Store[/caption]

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[caption id="attachment_2296" align="aligncenter" width="630"] The Other Shoe's Daniel Hanning 2/2014[/caption]