(Image Courtesy of NASA/JPL Web Site [1])

(Curiosity Arrives at Mount Sharp – Composite Image)

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Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. Today I bring you, yet another, edition of ‘The Mars report’. There are a great many events transpiring, here on Earth in regards to Mars, and in the Martian orbit. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO[2]) is about to have some company in the Martian orbit. The MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) spacecraft achieved Martian orbit roughly twenty hours ago, late Sunday night. The most tremendous thing about MAVEN is that this spacecraft will help mankind discover just what happened to the, once thick, atmosphere of Mars. To be sure, it will send back incredible images and science, just as all of NASA’s Mars bound spacecraft have, but this craft could help unlock one of the greatest mysteries of our solar system.

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(Image thanks to American Space.com[3])

[caption id="attachment_3634" align="aligncenter" width="630"]

MARVEN spacecraft Prior to Launch[/caption]

(MARVEN spacecraft Prior to Launch)

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You know, when you are watching a planet (from multiple sources) 24/7/365 you are bound to come across some freaky and interesting events. Our next image, My Dear Readers, is just that sort of image from the Martian surface. Taken back on July 3^rd, 2014, this image shows an “irregular shaped boulder”[4] that has fallen down a hillside about one-third of a mile only to end up… standing completely UPRIGHT! You see, this boulder is of a completely irregular shape, and the odds of it stopping just when it is upright are phenomenal. On top of that, the chances that someone at NASA/JPL actually noticing this event… well, I am not sure mankind has the capability of calculating those odds! So here we have it, My Dear Readers, ‘irregular shaped boulder lands upright’ on ‘Mars’ Funniest Home Videos!’. This image was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter[5].

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(Image thanks to NASA/JPL Web Site [6])

[caption id="attachment_3633" align="aligncenter" width="630"]

Irregular Shaped Boulder Rolls 1/3 mile to Stop Upright[/caption]

(Irregular Shaped Boulder Rolls 1/3 mile to Stop Upright!)

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Hey, NASA/JPL had it on the web site, prominently displayed; don’t blame me for ‘sharing’. Again, that all happened back in July of this year… why they are just now posting and ‘sharing’? I have no answer. One might well have the same question for our next image of the day. Taken back in June of 2014 (June 27, 2014 to be exact) The rover Curiosity has finally passed outside of the ellipse of the ‘Safe Zone for Landing’ for Curiosity. Prior to launching Curiosity NASA/JPL scientists mapped a “4 mile long and 12 mile wide”[7] ellipse as a “safe landing zone” for Curiosity. On June 27^th 2014 Curiosity left this safe landing zone and headed into all new territory. In the image below the “High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter photographed the rover on June 27 at the end of a drive that put Curiosity right on the ellipse boundary”[8].

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(Image thanks to NASA/JPL Web Site [9])

[caption id="attachment_3636" align="aligncenter" width="630"]

NASA Mars Orbiter Views Rover Crossing Into New Zone[/caption]

(NASA Mars Orbiter Views Rover Crossing Into New Zone)

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OK… For me, My Dear Readers, one of my favorite things about NASA/JPL and missions to other planets is… the names they give areas and objects. They range from ceremonial and a tribute to (like a great Science Fiction Author) Bradbury Landing to, well, the sublime like “Pahrump Hills”! I am sure that if I took the time, and researched and searched, I would find out the reason why NASA/JPL named this area of Gale Crater the ‘Pahrump Hills’. I

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I just do not have the time to spare on such an endeavor. However, if any of you, My Dear Readers, would like to look it up and share it here on my blog? I would be happy to share your comment… and give you a free week of ‘The Other Shoe’ newsletter! Now, for the image of, what looks are great deal like, a thin concrete roadway on the Martian Surface. I give you rocks with strata from Pahrump Hills in Gale Crater on the Martian surface.

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(Image thanks to NASA/JPL Web Site [10])

[caption id="attachment_3630" align="aligncenter" width="630"]

Rocks Showing Strata in Pahrump Hills[/caption]

(Rocks Showing Strata in Pahrump Hills)

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Again, with two orbiting platforms and (now) two operational rovers scouring the Martian surface, you are bound to find new stuff on the Martian surface. The very next image, for this edition of ‘The Mars Report’ is another of just such Martian images. While processing images from the Mars Orbiter’s weather-monitoring camera, the Mars Color Imager (MARCI). Scientists have discovered “t the largest fresh meteor-impact crater ever firmly documented with before-and-after images”[11] This is the after shot showing the largest fresh impact crater ever discovered by mankind.

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(Image Thanks to NASA/JPL Web Site [12])

[caption id="attachment_3637" align="aligncenter" width="630"]

NASA Orbiter Images Largest ‘Fresh’ Impact Crater on Mars[/caption]

(NASA Orbiter Images Largest ‘Fresh’ Impact Crater on Mars)

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Upon arrival at Pahrump Hills in Gale Crater Curiosity did a complete 360 degree visual reconnaissance. At the end of this, it relayed all the images to NAASA/JPL for review, and examination. Since landing, Curiosity has been on a (pretty much) straight forward ‘Bee Line’ for its major objective Mount Sharp. That is until Curiosity arrived at Pahrump Hills and returned its survey images. Upon review of the a froe mentioned images, NASA/JPL scientists noticed “something shinny” on the horizon of part of the images.

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This “something shinny” is actually a dried lakebed! Having made this discovery, NASA/JPL scientists have altered Curiosity’s course so that they can transverse the lakebed and (hopefully) make many new discoveries. Below is an image showing the previously planned route, and the all new changed route for Curiosity.

(Image Thanks to NASA/JPL Web Site [13])

[caption id="attachment_3631" align="aligncenter" width="630"]

New’ Route for Curiosity as seen on MRO Image[/caption]

(‘New’ Route for Curiosity as seen on MRO Image)

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Which brings us, My Dear Readers, to our final image of the day for this edition of ‘The Mars Report’. The ‘Comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring’ is headed for a very close flyby of Mars. So, NASA/JPL is quite busy maneuvering its orbiting spacecraft. They are hoping to get them set up so that they are close enough that they can get some spectacular images, and some scientific data, without placing any of their hardware in ‘Harms Way’. This image show us the flight paths, and the path of the comet.

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(Image Thanks to NASA/JPL Web Site [14])

[caption id="attachment_3627" align="aligncenter" width="630"]

NASA/JPL Maneuvers Spacecraft for Approaching Comet[/caption]

(NASA/JPL Maneuvers Spacecraft for Approaching Comet)

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With that, My Dear Readers, we bring to a close this edition of ‘The Mars Report’ here at ‘The Other Shoe’. I do truly hope that everyone has enjoyed their time, spent here today, in pursuit of ‘otherworldly images’ from the Martian surface. I do sincerely apologize for the day delay in the publication of this edition of ‘The Mars Report’. I know that I usually publish the ditions of this series on Monday, but circumstances beyond my control forced this day delay.

[caption id="attachment_3629" align="aligncenter" width="630"]

Complete Composite Image From Curiosity at Base of Mount Sharp[/caption]

(Complete Composite Image From Curiosity at Base of Mount Sharp)

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The great thing is that, while searching for today’s images for this edition I found a large number of incredible images that I will bring to you, My Dear Readers, next week! As always, I am on the look-out for more and newer images to share with you, right here at The Other Shoe. It will be a single issue made up entirely of images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. I hope that you drop by and take a look at all the great new images. It will be spectacular.

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That, My Dear Readers, just leaves the elephant in the room. Today is DAY NINE! DAY NINE of Danny’s Cancer Treatment Fund at Indiegogo. I have very good news that, over the weekend, I received my ingle largest donation of my whole campaign! That’s right, on Sunday, I received a donation of $100! That doubled the donation level previously held and increased my campaign by 100%!

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Now, I am hoping to KICK THIS CAMPAIGN INTO HIGH GEAR! I look forward to making THIS LAST NINE DAYS the BEST nine days of the entire campaign… EVER! With your, My Dear Readers, help we CAN make THIS NINE DAYS HISTORIC! All I need is SUPPORT and DONATIONS!!!

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Just take a few moments to look at the campaign, linked below. Take a look at the; images, videos, reports, and test results. I have included everything one could possibly need to make an informed and empathetic decision, and DONATION!

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Adieu!

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Thank YOU!

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Danny's Cancer Treatment Fund @ Indiegogo