Category Archives: Mars

Welcome to the140th edition of 6 Storm TeamStarwatch. This is a blog that will be updated weekly that lists events happening in the sky.

Late tonight (technically August 19th) is the Last Quarter Moon (Sky & Telescope). The Last Quarter Moon looks like a half Moon. Mars will be close by, slightly below the Moon (Sky & Telescope). Above the Moon to the left is the star cluster the Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters (Sky & Telescope).

About 1 hour after sunset tonight Saturn will be visible in the sky (Sky & Telescope). You will want to look Southeast to see this planet (Sky & Telescope). The image below shows what to look for.

Now is a great time to check out the Milky Way since the Moon is not visible in the evening sky (Sky & Telescope).

The following sites were used in the creation of this blog:

This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 12 – 20

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6 Storm Team Starwatch: Saturn and Mars visible this week - WATE 6 On Your Side

In todays highly-connected and instantaneous world, we have access to a massive amount of information at our fingertips.

Historically, however, this hasnt always been the case.

Time travel back just 20 years ago to 2002, and youd notice the vast majority of people were still waiting on the daily paper or the evening news to help fill the information void.

In fact, for most of 2002, Google was trailing in search engine market share behind Yahoo! and MSN. Meanwhile, early social media incarnations (MySpace, Friendster, etc.) were just starting to come online, and all of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and the iPhone did not yet exist.

Every so often, the dominant form of communication is upended by new technological developments and changing societal preferences.

These transitions seem to be happening faster over time, aligning with the accelerated progress of technology.

Each new wave of media comes with its own pros and cons.

For example, Connected Media was a huge step forward in that it enabled everyone to be a part of the conversation. On the other hand, algorithms and the sheer amount of content to sift through has created a lot of downsides as well. To name just a few problems with media today: filter bubbles, sensationalism, clickbait, and so on.

Before we dive into what we think is the next wave of media, lets first break down the common attributes and problems with prior waves.

Before the first wave of media, amplifying a message took devotion and a lifetime.

Add in the fact that even by the year 1500, only 4% of global citizens lived in cities, and you can see how hard it would be to communicate effectively with the masses during this era.

Or, to paint a more vivid picture of what proto-media was like: information could only travel as fast as the speed of a horse.

In this first wave, new technological advancements enabled widescale communication for the first time in history.

Newspapers, books, magazines, radios, televisions, movies, and early websites all fit within this framework, enabling the owners of these assets to broadcast their message at scale.

With large amounts of infrastructure required to print books or broadcast television news programs, it took capital or connections to gain access. For this reason, large corporations and governments were usually the gatekeepers, and ordinary citizens had limited influence.

Importantly, these mediums only allowed one-way communicationmeaning that they could broadcast a message, but the general public was restricted in how they could respond (i.e. a letter to the editor, or a phone call to a radio station).

Innovations like Web 2.0 and social media changed the game.

Starting in the mid-2000s, barriers to entry began to drop, and it eventually became free and easy for anyone to broadcast their opinion online. As the internet exploded with content, sorting through it became the number one problem to solve.

For better or worse, algorithms began to feed people what they loved, so they could consume even more. The ripple effect of this was that everyone competing for eyeballs suddenly found themselves optimizing content to try and win the algorithm game to get virality.

Viral content is often engaging and interesting, but it comes with tradeoffs. Content can be made artificially engaging by sensationalizing, using clickbait, or playing loose with the facts. It can be ultra-targeted to resonate emotionally within one particular filter bubble. It can be designed to enrage a certain group, and mobilize them towards actioneven if it is extreme.

Despite the many benefits of Connected Media, we are seeing more polarization than ever before in society. Groups of people cant relate to each other or discuss issues, because they cant even agree on basic facts.

Perhaps most frustrating of all? Many people dont know they are deep within their own bubble in which they are only fed information they agree with. They are unaware that other legitimate points of view exist. Everything is black and white, and grey thinking is rarer and rarer.

Between 2015 and 2025, the amount of data captured, created, and replicated globally will increase by 1,600%.

For the first time ever, a significant quantity of data is becoming open source and available to anyone. There have been massive advancements in how to store and verify data, and even the ownership of information can now be tracked on the blockchain. Both media and the population are becoming more data literate, and they are also becoming aware of the societal drawbacks stemming from Connected Media.

As this new wave emerges, its worth examining some of its attributes and connecting concepts in more detail:

The Data Media ecosystem is just beginning to emerge, but here are some early pioneers we like:

Growth in data journalism and the emergence of these pioneers helps give you a sense of the beginnings of Data Media, but we believe they are only scratching the surface of what is possible.

In a sense, its easier to define what Data Media isnt.

Data Media is not partisan pundits arguing over each other on a newscast, and its not fake news, misinformation, or clickbait that is engineered to drive easy clicks. Data media is not an echo chamber that only reinforces existing biases. Because data is also less subjective, its less likely to be censored in the way we see today.

Data is not perfect, but it can help change the conversations we are having as a society to be more constructive and inclusive. We hope you agree!

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Every Mission to Mars in One Visualization - Visual Capitalist

Elon Musk on Saturday reaffirmed his unwavering focus on colonizing Mars and making human life multi-planetary.

I hope there is a self-sustaining city on Mars in 20 years, the Tesla CEO said in a tweet.

His statement came as a response to a tweet by Tesla Owners Silicon Valley, which posted a picture that showed both SpaceXs beginnings and its current status. The picture was captioned with the words, 2002: How it started vs 2022. The tweet also askedMusk how it was going.

As early as last month, Musk said humanity will reach Mars in our lifetime. Just as the Moon brought us together in 1969, Mars would do it in the future, he added.

Read Benzinga's story onSpaceX' 36th launch of 2022

Also, in mid-July, the billionaire spoke about creating a self-sustaining civilization on the Red Planet, which would mean being self-sufficient in terms of supplies and not relying on the Earth for them.

"20 to 30 years from first human landing if launch rate growth is exponential," the Tesla CEO said at the time.

The timeline is assuming about 100,000 people are transported per flight and about 2 million people are needed, he added.

Last week, Musk shared a picture of a spacecraft on a red surface and captioned it, This will be Mars one day.

Photo courtesy Steve Jurvetson on Flickr

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Elon Musk's Mars Obsession Intensifies: A 'Self-Sustaining City' On The Red Planet In 20 Years - Benzinga

One of the biggest open questions that scientists have about Mars is whether there was ever life there. They are pretty sure nothing lives there now, but there could have been microbial life present millions of years ago when there was liquid water present on the planet's surface (via NASA). Finding out whether something lived so long ago isn't easy, but research using data from Curiosity has taken us some steps closer to an answer. The rover has detected organic molecules containing carbon and hydrogen in Mars' Gale Crater, and while these molecules don't definitely indicate life was there, they do provide the basic building blocks for life. The big takeaway from this finding is that Mars could indeed once have been habitable.

Another important finding from Curiosity and SAM is the strange case of the variable methane in Mars' atmosphere. Scientists know that Mars has methane gas in its atmosphere, but Curiosity has found that the amount of methane present seems to vary widely, from high measurements of 21 parts per billion units by volume (ppbv) to lows of fewer than 1ppbv. Scientists still don't fully understand why the rate is so variable, as it could be coming from various sources like being released from rocks or seeping up through the surface from underground. Then the gas is disappearing somehow, perhaps related to Mars'day and night cycle.

There's plenty of other work Curiosity has done in addition to these two big topics. The rover has found evidence about the history of water on Mars, including identifying an ancient oasis, as well as learning about the geological history of the planet and investigating the presence of another element that is important for life, nitrogen.

See the article here:

What The Curiosity Rover Has Learned In Its First 10 Years On Mars - SlashGear

By: Chris HarlanSunday, August 14, 2022 | 12:01 PM

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Mars Jack Hull works out on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Adams.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Mars quarterback Luke Goodworth throws a pass during practice on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Adams.

A new coach, a new quarterback and a new playbook.

This is a summer of transition for the Mars football program under new coach Eric Kasperowicz, but learning a new offense and defense doesnt happen overnight. Kasperowicz was hired in April, but it was sometime in early July that he and his staff started to notice the players were much more confident at practice.

It did take a while, Kasperowicz said. Right around the Fourth of July, we gave them time off and that next week we had a practice or two where it really started clicking.

The football program is trying to bounce back from a 2-8 season a year ago when the Planets were shut out twice and outscored 286-78.

Kasperowiczs son, sophomore Eric Jr., will be the teams starting quarterback after transferring from Pine-Richland. The former Pine-Richland coach moved his family into the Mars district and the WPIAL already ruled his son fully eligible for the season.

Mars was traditionally known for a strong running game under longtime coach Scott Heinauer, but the Planets are transitioning to a spread offense. When Kasperowicz was at Pine-Richland, the Rams went 85-18 in eight seasons with four WPIAL championships and two state titles.

Itll be the same offense and defense units youve come to know at Pine, he said.

In his last season there, Pine-Richland averaged 48 points per game and allowed 12.

The offensive transition started last season when Mars hired former Pine-Richland assistant Ed Malinowski as offensive coordinator, but the defense got a complete overhaul once Kasperowicz was hired as head coach in April.

This year, as we began to start up, you could see the whole spread offense clicking in guys minds, said senior Noah Nesselroad, a wide receiver and defensive back. It was almost one by one. You saw people start getting it and start understanding this isnt a run-first offense anymore.

The defense has taken a little longer to learn since it was entirely new.

Were not all there yet, Nesselroad said, but were getting there.

Kasperowicz said Nesselroad will be one of the players Mars relies this season. The 5-foot-8, 165-pound slot receiver led the team with 33 catches and 257 yards, numbers that should dramatically jump.

If he doesnt catch 80-plus balls, it will be surprising, Kasperowicz said.

The Planets also return senior receiver Hayden Mayer (6-0, 175), a deep threat who caught two of the teams six touchdowns last season. Nesselroad also caught two TDs.

Last years starting quarterback, senior Rafael Bartley (6-3, 215), will play tight end and H-back this year. He completed 91 of 176 attempts for 971 yards with six touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Leading rusher Evan Wright, a junior, also returns. The running back had 114 carries for 621 yards and four touchdowns last season. He averaged 88 yards per game with three 100-yard games.

I think he could be one of the top running backs if he stays healthy, Kasperowicz said. Hes explosive. Hes a 10.8 (seconds) guy in the 100-meter dash.

The offensive line received a boost with the addition of senior Evan Frye (6-3, 245), a member of the schools state champion lacrosse team.

The defense is led by senior middle linebacker Jack Hull (5-11, 185). Junior Connor Hartle (6-2, 160), also a lacrosse player, will bolster the defense.

Theres a good core, albeit we only have 15 seniors, Kasperowicz said. But theres a good group of guys who will play a lot of football for us.

He said one of the biggest disruptions this summer was family vacations. Summer workouts are voluntary prior to camp, but Kasperowicz decided to provide parents with three suggested weeks for scheduling their vacations next summer, hoping to have more players available at the same time.

You can imagine trying to run anything if youre missing a different 10% every week, he said. Its tough to get into any continuity.

Kasperowicz has said Mars now is similar to where Pine-Richland was when he took over in 2013. The Rams were 4-6 in 2011 and 4-5 in 2012, missing the playoffs both seasons. Pine-Richland went 5-5 in Kasperowiczs first season. In Year 2, the Rams were 15-1 and finished as state runners-up.

But Kasperowicz said his only measuring stick for year one here is steady improvement.

If the kids are working hard and are excited to be here, then I think you can put your head on the pillow at night and be OK with it, he said.

Mars

Coach: Eric Kasperowicz

2021 record: 2-8, 2-5 in Class 4A Greater Allegheny Conference

All-time record: 428-525-32

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.26 at Montour, 7

9.2 New Castle, 7

9.9 at Blackhawk, 7

9.16 Indiana*, 7

9.23 Moon, 7

9.30 at Highlands*, 7

10.7 Kiski Area*, 7

10.14 at Armstrong*, 7

10.21 Hampton*, 7

10.28 North Catholic*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Rafael Bartley

91-176, 971 yards, 6 TDs

Rushing: Evan Wright

114-621, 4 TDs

Receiving: Noah Nesselroad

33-257, 2 TDs

FAST FACTS

Mars last won a playoff game in 2015. The Planets are 0-5 in the postseason since.

While the football team struggled last season, there was plenty of success in the Mars athletic program. The girls soccer and boys lacrosse teams won WPIAL and state championships.

One Mars graduate has played in the NFL. Sam Cooper, a 6-foot, 200-pound tackle out of Geneva College, played one game for the 1933 Pittsburgh Pirates, as the Steelers were then known. It was the first season in franchise history. Cooper was paid $100 for the game he played. He went on to be a superintendent of a boys home, teacher, coach and principal and died in 1998.

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review Staff Writer. You can contact Chris by email at charlan@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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Mars slowly but surely acclimating to coach Eric Kasperowiczs system - TribLIVE.com

Pathfinder, a lightweight, small-scale test rover, roams an ash pile in Point Marion, Pennsylvania, for research conducted by Cagri Kilic, a WVU postdoctoral fellow. (Photo courtesy of Jonas Bredu)

West Virginia University scientists have developed a way for extraplanetary rovers to use nonvisual information to maneuver over treacherous terrain. This research aims to prevent losses like that of the Martian exploration rover Spirit, which ceased communications after its wheels became trapped in invisibly shifting sands in 2010.

Space roboticist Cagri Kilic, a Statler College of Engineering postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineeringat the WVU Navigation Laboratory, led research on preventing slips and stumbles in planetary rovers that will be featured in a Field Robotics paper he coauthored with aerospace engineering associate professors Yu Gu and Jason Gross.

Supported by funding from NASAs Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, Kilic, Gu and Gross have found a way to help a rover feel its way forward, using only its existing sensors, when visual data is not available or reliable.

Darkness and extreme brightness can both make it hard for rovers to depend on visual data for navigation, but Kilics work also focuses on helping the rover in situations where aspects of the physical terrain are difficult to read based on a visual inspection: steep slopes, loose debris, layers of different sands, soft soil or salt flats like those of Europa, Jupiters moon.

Many of those terrain features can be found at the burnt-coal ash piles in Point Marion, Pennsylvania, where Kilics team tests their software on WVUs Pathfinder rover.

The area was actually found when we were doing some tests for the Mars Societys University Rover Challenge, he said. As soon as I saw the environment, I wanted to look at the chemical composition of the area because it was looking like Mars.

In Point Marion, Kilics team puts Pathfinder, a lightweight, small-scale test rover, through its paces, testing algorithms that allow it to adjust its course or speed, for example, based on the information it gets from onboard instruments like accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers and odometers, rather than on what it can detect through its camera lens. Those instruments tell Kilics software about orientation, velocity and position, helping the rover and the engineers who guide it understand and respond to the environment.

Mars rovers can understand if there is an obstacle in front of them, Kilic said. They can detect wheel slippage by using their cameras, they can tell if a wheel is spinning on a rock and so on. And they can adjust their navigation by changing their path, changing individual wheel speeds or stopping to wait for the command from the engineers on Earth.

Kilic stressed that when visual data is available, the rovers current visual navigation system is almost perfect 99% success rate. The problem is that it can only work when there are sufficient features in the environment. The sameness of a landscape is what gives a rover trouble when its relying on sight to get around.

According to Kilic, its homogeneous, visually-low feature environments similar to deserts, ocean or tundra on our planet that are a problem for rovers not just on Mars, but also on Earths moon and potentially on Europa, where the presence of ice has excited scientific speculation about habitability. Kilic said he tried to make the technology as general as possible for use in any robot on any extraterrestrial body.

Wherever a rover can go in our solar system, Kilics algorithms can help protect it against a fall or entrapment.

Of course, the software needs to be tuned for a particular rover, adjusting to its wheel dimensions, its inertial measurement unit characteristics, but it does not need any additional sensors, he said.

Still, Kilics research specifically aims to benefit the rovers that are currently exploring Mars: Curiosity, Perseverance and Zhurong. Mars is Kilics priority because Martian soil is exceptionally challenging for traversability. Even throughout a single drive, Mars rovers traverse on various terrains with different slopes.

To realize that goal, Kilic will now conduct additional tests with different rovers. His method already boasts slip detection accuracy of more than 92% for distances of around 150 meters and drains fewer computational resources than visually based navigation, enabling rovers using Kilics software to travel faster and stop less often than when they rely on visual signals.

Although the research still has some distance to travel, Kilic said the results to date show us that we and the rovers are on the right path.

Citation: Proprioceptive Slip Detection for Planetary Rovers in Perceptually Degraded Extraterrestrial Environments

-WVU-

mm/8/10/22

MEDIA CONTACT: Paige NesbitMarketing and Communications DirectorStatler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources304-293-4135; paige.nesbit@mail.wvu.edu

Call 1-855-WVU-NEWS for the latest West Virginia University news and information from WVUToday.

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.

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WVU Today | WVU space robotics research helps Mars rovers find their footing - WVU Today

A mysterious Martian mineral that has perplexed scientists since its discovery seven years ago may have been spat out during an unusual volcanic eruption, researchers have revealed. The mineral, which is normally only found on Earth, was likely formed on the Red Planet more than 3 billion years ago.

NASA's Curiosity rover discovered the mineral inside a rock at the heart of the 96-mile-wide (154 kilometers) Gale crater on July 30, 2015. The rover drilled a small hole into the rock and extracted a silver-colored dust sample. Curiosity's onboard X-ray diffraction laboratory analyzed the dust and detected tridymite a rare type of quartz made entirely of silicon dioxide, or silica, that is formed by certain types of volcanic activity.

The unusual find was totally unexpected. "The discovery of tridymite in Gale crater is one of the most surprising observations that the Curiosity rover has made in 10 years of exploring Mars," study co-author Kirsten Siebach, a planetary scientist at Rice University in Houston and a mission specialist on NASA's Curiosity team, said in a statement (opens in new tab).

The discovery of tridymite stunned researchers for two main reasons, lead study author Valerie Payr, a planetary scientist at Northern Arizona University and Rice University, told Live Science in an email. First, Mars' volcanic activity was previously thought to be unsuitable for producing silica-rich minerals like tridymite. Second, scientists believe Gale crater was once an ancient lake, and it has no visible volcanoes nearby, which left scientists scratching their heads as they tried to figure out how the mineral ended up at the bottom of the lake, Payr said.

Related: Curiosity rover snaps close-up of tiny 'mineral flower' on Mars

In the new study, researchers have come up with an explanation that may finally unravel the mystery. The researchers suspect that the explosive eruption of an unknown volcano launched tridymite-rich ash into the Martian sky, which then fell into the ancient lake at Gale crater.

When the ash fell into the water it would have been broken down into its individual parts by a combination of physical and chemical processes. The researchers think this is why the sample of tridymite is so pure and not contaminated with ash. "If the ashes were directly deposited at the location we found it [without water], we would expect thick layers" of ash, Payr said.

A similar scenario has been observed on Earth at just one location at Lake Tecocomulco in Mexico, where tridymite was found within volcanic rocks brought up from the bottom of the lake.

If tridymite-rich ash did fall into Gale crater when it was still a lake, then the eruption likely happened between 3 billion and 3.5 billion years ago, which is when researchers suspect the crater was full of water. "The explosive eruption must have happened in that time frame," Payr said. However, recent studies have shown it is possible that Gale crater was still a lake as recently as 1 billion years ago, according to the researchers' statement.

The researchers remain unsure about where the volcano that birthed the tridymite sample is located on the Red Planet. It could have been from a small eruption nearby, or from a massive explosion much further afield, Payr said. It is hard to locate past volcanoes on Mars because it is challenging to distinguish between impact craters and volcanic calderas that have been eroded over billions of years, she added.

The researchers also had to explain how tridymite formed on Mars, where conditions are thought to be very different from Earth.

Normally, tridymite forms in extremely high-temperature and silica-rich volcanic environments, which are common on Earth, Payr said. However, previous evidence from Mars suggests that volcanic eruptions on the Red Planet were basaltic, meaning that they had a much-reduced silica content. This is because Mars doesn't have tectonic plates, which are the main source of Earth's silica-rich eruptions, Payr added.

Further analysis of the tridymite found on Mars revealed that it was slightly different to the tridymite that forms in volcanoes on Earth. This suggests that the Martian version was formed under slightly different conditions, Payr said.

Related: Martian crater looks just like a human fingerprint in this incredible new image

The researchers propose that the tridymite found in Gale crater was formed over a prolonged period within a magma chamber underneath the unknown volcano. The temperature within the chamber would likely have been slightly lower than the conditions in tridymite-forming volcanoes on Earth, but the team believes this might have enabled the mineral to slowly form as additional silica became available, according to the study.

Similar mineral formation pathways have been observed on Earth, and the scenario represents the "straightforward evolution of other volcanic rocks we found in the crater," Siebach said.

Although the proposed formation of tridymite on Mars requires less silica than on Earth, the researchers point out that the volcano that birthed the sample found in Gale crater likely had a higher silica content than past evidence suggested.

"This work suggests that Mars may have a more complex and intriguing volcanic history than we would have imagined before Curiosity," Siebach said.

Future discoveries from Curiosity and its successor, the Perseverance rover, as well as Martian rocks brought back to Earth by NASA's proposed Mars Sample Return mission, could help shed more light on Mars' ancient volcanic past, Payr said.

The study will be published in the Sept. 15 issue of the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters (opens in new tab).

Originally published on Live Science.

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Mysterious mineral on Mars was spat out by an explosive eruption 3 billion years ago - Livescience.com

Photo: rasstock - stock.adobe.com

The positive trine between Mars and Pluto is still working and continues to give us a lot of courage, strength and determination. If we have to master difficult projects at the moment, we will now succeed more than usual if we set to work. This favourable constellation will continue to have an effect over the next few days, which is why we should not slacken our efforts now.

Another pleasant constellation that works today is the monthly conjunction between the Moon and Jupiter, which always turns out to be a lucky constellation. Although everyone understands luck differently, as we know. But generally speaking, those who want to see the positive will discover it. And the others will pass by without noticing that they have overlooked an experience of happiness.

The proverb "Why wander far, see, the good lies so near",- a wonderful philosophical thought by Goethe, which in the meantime has also become a proverb, - also refers to happiness, which can lie so near, and not in the distance. The distance also refers to the unattainable wishes that actually only spring from our arrogance. Therefore: Even today, happiness experiences are very close, you just have to discover them!

Ben Affleck(*1972),Napoleon(1769 - 1821),Stieg Larsson(* 1954), Wolfgang Hohlbein(*1953), Jennifer Lawrence(*1990)

Moon

moon (Aries)

waning gibbous

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Mars and Pluto give courage and strength - astrosofa.com

This image was taken by Mars Descent Imager (MARDI) onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 3543. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech. Download image

Todays plan is chock full of goodies! We start out sol 3546 with a ChemCam observation of a sand ripple Deposito and an RMI observation of the Bolivar outcrop in the distance. Then well do some Mastcam observations of Deposito, Lilas which is one of our robotic arm targets later in the sol, Bolivar, and Deepdale. Once all that wraps up, well get into our robotic arm activities for the sol!

Today I (Keri) was the Arm Rover Planner, which means I was responsible for writing up the commands for the robotic arm activities in this plan. The original plan only had one set of MAHLI observations, but when I loaded up our most recent images in the morning, I noticed this lovely rock in our workspace. The top of it looked like a nice large flat spot where we could use our DRT to brush off some dust! The scientists also were thinking the same thing and agreed, so we added it to the plan. The scientists are also interested in the rough face pointing at the rover, so we are also taking some MAHLI images of that rough face Simoni followed by brushing away the surface dust on the top of the rock with DRT and taking some MAHLI and Mastcam images of Lilas.

Once the arm activities wrap up, well begin driving! Our Mobility Rover Planner responsible for driving today just received their Martian drivers license a few weeks ago, so today theyre getting to enjoy it by driving about 34 meters in some tricky terrain! We are driving in some terrain that could potentially make it more difficult to talk to Earth, in part because the tall hills were driving past block sections of the sky where Earth or the orbiters are visible. To make sure we maintain good lines of sight, they worked closely with some of the rover engineers to assess our communications with Earth and the Mars orbiters along with working with the Surface Properties Scientist that provide guidance on what type of rocks and terrain types are safe to drive over and which to avoid. There can often be a lot to juggle when driving a rover on Mars, so this is why we always work as a team!

During the drive, the science team decided to add in an observation that we dont often use: a MARDI sidewalk observation. MARDI is a camera that is pointing down at the ground. Its initial purpose was to take pictures while MSL was landing on Mars, but now we use it to take pictures of the ground beneath the rover (the image shows a recent MARDI observation). A MARDI sidewalk observation is when we take several MARDI images while Curiosity is driving so we can get a video of the ground that the rover is driving across. It is like when you look down while walking along a sidewalk on Earth. The science team is excited for this observation because we are driving across changing terrain. We cant stop everywhere along the traverse, so obtaining this MARDI sidewalk video will give us close up images of the rocks we drive over. This will help the science team pinpoint exactly when we drive into an area with different rocks. Maybe staring down at the sidewalk while you walk sounds a little boring on Earth, but on Mars it can help us learn more about the changing terrain!

After all that completes, we will take some post-drive imaging with Hazcams, Navcams, and Mastcams which will help the next planning team determine their activities.

On the second sol, we are doing what we call untargeted science, since the rover will have driven to a new location by the time they occur so we plan science observations that dont require being in a specific place. First we let the rover autonomously select ChemCam targets then use Navcam look to the crater rim to see the dust in the atmosphere followed by looking for dust devils. Later in the sol, Mastcam will do a sky survey observation. The entire plan also includes our standard background RAD, REMS, and DAN observations.

Go here to read the rest:

Sols 3546-3547: Staring at the Ground NASA Mars Exploration - NASA Mars Exploration

Mars and Uranus are night-sky neighbors at the moment, and you can get good views of their unusual meetup online tonight (Aug. 1).

The two planets are close enough in the sky right now to be seen together through binoculars or a low-power telescope. But even if you don't have such gear, you can still get good looks at in a webcast tonight.

The Virtual Telescope Project, which is run by Italian astrophysicist Gianluca Masi, will stream views of Mars and Uranus tonight, beginning at 9 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT on Aug. 2). You can watch live here at Space.com or directly at the Virtual Telescope Project (opens in new tab).

Related: Best stargazing tents: keep warm and dry when skywatching

Mars and Uranus have been approaching each other in our sky for a while now. Their rendezvous will peak tomorrow (Aug. 2), when the two planets will be separated by just 1.5 degrees. (Reminder: Your clenched fist held at arm's length covers about 10 degrees of sky.)

Though Uranus is much bigger than Mars, the Red Planet appears far brighter in our sky because of its relative proximity to Earth and to the sun. The bluish green Uranus is currently shining at roughly magnitude 5.8, whereas Mars checks in at about 0.2. (On the logarithmic magnitude scale that astronomers use, lower numbers denote brighter objects. For comparison, the brightest planet in our sky,Venus,shines with a maximum magnitude ofabout -4.6 (opens in new tab).)

If you're looking for a telescope or binoculars with which to watch Mars approach Uranus, go to our guides for the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals now. Our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography can also help you prepare for the next skywatching sight on your own.

Mike Wall is the author of "Out There (opens in new tab)" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall (opens in new tab). Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or on Facebook (opens in new tab).

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Watch Mars and Uranus meet up in night-sky webcast tonight - Space.com