Some great new images of very finely layered rocks near Jocko Butte on sol 976, from Curiosity. The layers tell a geological story of alternating wet conditions in this area on Mars a long time ago. These thin, delicate layers are an amazing sight! All of the raw images from Curiosity can be seen here.
Read MoreImage Gallery: finely layered rocks near Jocko Butte
Two new beautiful composite images, from two different rovers and locations on Mars. The first is a sunset in Gale crater, taken by Curiosity. Martian sunsets look bluish due to the light scattering effects of reddish dust in the atmosphere. The other image, from Opportunity, is of the scenic Lindbergh rock mound in the Spirit of St. Louis crater, on the rim of the huge Endeavour crater. A natural monument!
Read MoreImage Gallery: Martian sunset and Lindbergh rock mound
There were some beautiful new images taken of the foothills of Mount Sharp from the Curiosity rover on Mars as it passed through the Artist’s Drive and Logan’s Run valleys. The canyons and mesas on the lower slopes of the mountain keep getting closer!
Scientists have discovered a vast network of salty aquifers beneath the surface of Antarctica, thanks to an airborne imaging system used there for the first time. The finding may have interesting implications for the search for life elsewhere, such as Mars, since it is known that, at least on Earth, a large variety of microscopic life forms can thrive in those kinds of environments.
Read MoreDiscovery of salty aquifer beneath Antarctica may have implications for life on Mars
The search for liquid water on Mars is one that has been on-going for decades. It can’t exist for long on the surface, as it will quickly sublimate into the cold, thin atmosphere. Aquifers deep below the surface are still possible, but there is also another tantalizing possibility which scientists have been considering: brines. Such salty liquid water could theoretically last a bit longer on the surface or in the near-subsurface, and now the Curiosity rover has provided more evidence that this may indeed be happening at its location in Gale Crater, as well as elsewhere.
Read MoreCuriosity rover finds more evidence for possible liquid water brines on Mars