PIA23975: Curiosity Finds Nodules near the Top of Pediment Slope


Curiosity Finds Nodules near the Top of Pediment Slope

Caption:

The goosebump-like features in the center of this image were formed by water billions of years ago. NASA's Curiosity Mars rover discovered them as it crested the slope of "Greenheugh Pediment" on Feb. 24, 2020, the 2685th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.

The panorama has been white-balanced so that the colors of the rock materials resemble how they would appear under daytime lighting conditions on Earth.

Background Info:

The rover's Mast Camera, or Mastcam, provided this scene, which was stitched together from four images. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and operates Mastcam. A division of Caltech, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California built the Curiosity rover and manages the Mars Science Laboratory mission for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

For more information about Curiosity, visit http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl or https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html .

Cataloging Keywords:

Name Value Additional Values
Target Mars
System
Target Type Planet
Mission Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)
Instrument Host Curiosity Rover
Host Type Rover
Instrument Mast Camera (MastCam)
Detector
Extra Keywords Color, Water
Acquisition Date
Release Date 2020-07-06
Date in Caption 2020-02-24
Image Credit NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Source photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23975
Identifier PIA23975