Lecture 4: Mars, the red planet

Further reading

• Mars is now available in Google Earth! Check out http://earth.google.com/mars/
• The US Geological Survey published an updated map of Mars at https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/geologic-map-mars; there's a nice article about the new map at https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/23/science/space/brand-new-look-at-the-face-of-mars.html.
• If you need to find out what all that Latin means in Martian place names, take a look at the USGS "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature", Appendix 5: Descriptor Terms http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/append5.html
• The various missions and instruments all have their own web-sites, often with their own "Image of the Day". They're all linked at http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/– just find the mission you want and you'll be pointed to the home page. It's hard to keep up with the latest fabulous images found by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, so check back frequently with their news page http://mars.nasa.gov/mro/news/whatsnew/index.cfm. Don't forget the NASA Photojournal http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html is the easiest way to find images.
• The MGS topographic map is available many places, but usually at reduced resolution. If you want the whole thing, you can get it at http://ssed.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/mercat.jpg, but beware! it's enormous: 12000 x 7000 pixels.
• Check out the "Phobos Arts and Crafts" page, where you get the plan for an assemble-your-own Phobos: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2008/1348.html
• A nice article about Curiosity's findings: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30390143

Source for images

• Missions to Mars: from http://www.planetary.org/multimedia/space-images/spacecraft/mars-exploration-family-portrait.html. A complete list can be found at http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/mars_missns/mars-mod.html.
• MOLA scans: MOLA Press Release 20 November 1997 http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/sci/mola/data1/mola_press.html
• MOC picture example: MOC narrow-angle image R22-01670 http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/r22_s04/images/R22/R2201670.html
• Opportunity from MRO: from http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/multimedia/mro-2061006-1.html and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=1623
• Curiosity from MRO: PIA15980, from http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/msl20120806b.html
• Face of Mars: image from India's Mars Orbiter Mission, from http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2017/1003-mom-mcc-data-release-2.html
• Mars/Earth comparison: from Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Classroom, poster comparing Earth and Mars, http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/classroom/
• Mars seasons: from Adler Planetarium http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/cyberspace/planets/mars/seasons.html
• Phobos and Deimos: APOD 2015 November 22 https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151122.html and 2009 March 16 https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090316.html
• Moons from Curiosity: PIA17089 http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA17089 and PIA17351 http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA17351
• Martian atmosphere: from "Early Mars couldn't hold liquid water long" https://www.sciencenews.org/article/early-mars-couldnt-hold-liquid-water-long
• Structure of Martian atmosphere: from Jim Brau: Astronomy 121 http://physics.uoregon.edu/~jimbrau/astr121/Notes/Exam2rev.html
• Clouds: Mars Daily Global Image from April 1999 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02653
• Martian weather movie: from MRO Mars weather report http://www.msss.com/msss_images/latest_weather.html
• Dust storm: Planet-wide dust storm, using observations from the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor. From "Astronomy Picture of the Day", 2001 July 27 http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010727.html
• Hubble images of global dust storm: from http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast11oct_2/
• Dust storms on Mars and Earth: from "Mars Global Surveyor: Recent Mars and Earth Dust Storms Compared", MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-249, 12 September 2000 http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/msss/camera/images/9_12_00_dust_storm/
• Dust devil: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09260
• Sky panorama: Astronomy Picture of the Day 2006 October 17 http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061017.html
• Barchan sand dunes: from APOD 2012 Apr 22 http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120422.html
• Mars temperatures: NASA Planetary Photojournal http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02014
• Water pressure-temperature diagram: from Mars Polar Lander: Volatiles, http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/mvacs/overview/volatiles.html
• Magnetism: from MGS MAG/ER Publications http://mgs-mager.gsfc.nasa.gov/publications/pnas_102_42_connerney/
• Mariner image: NASA Planetary Photojournal http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02979
• Valles Marineris hemisphere: mosaic of Viking images, from http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/maps/mars-viking-hemisphere-point-perspectives. Dust storm in Hellas: Science@NASA 9 July 2003 http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/09jul_marsdust.htm
• Topographic image of Mars: taken by the Mars Global Surveyor. From the NASA Planetary Photojournal http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/targetFamily/Mars, image PIA02031: Maps of Mars Global Topography.
• Landing sites: http://jpl.nasa.gov/news/phoenix/images-all.php?fileID=5296
• Two hemispheres: from "Seeing the martian crustal dichotomy" by Mike Caplinger http://www.msss.com/http/ps/di.html
• Channels in Hellas: MOC narrow-angle image M20-00092 http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/m19_m23/images/M20/M2000092.html
• Dunes in Hellas: MOC Release MOC2-537, 7 November 2003 http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/11/07/
• Image of the crater Yuty: NASA/Viking Orbiter image 3A07. Colour version from http://www.nirgal.net/crater.html
• Craters: from Mars Odyssey Mission THEMIS: Topic Gallery: Craters
• Bacolor Crater: from Mars Odyssey Mission THEMIS: Feature image http://themis.asu.edu/features/bacolorcrater
• Water map of Mars: from Astronomy Picture of the Day, 2004 September 4, http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040904.html
• Fresh craters: PIA17932 http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA17932 and http://mars.nasa.gov/mro/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=372
• Network of streams: from "Views of the Solar System" by Calvin Hamilton, http://www.solarviews.com/cap/mars/network.htm
• Teardrop islands: from Mars Odyssey All Stars: Ares Vallis https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA13653
• Tharsis topography: from Tharsis and the Early Climate of Mars http://ssed.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/tharsis_paper.html
• Viking view of Tharsis: from NASA Planetary Photojournal http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02987
• Olympus Mons: from "Views of the Solar System" by Calvin Hamilton: Martian Volcanoes http://www.solarviews.com/eng/marsvolc.htm
• 3D view of Olympus Mons: from NASA's "Mars Exploration Program: Olympus Mons" http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mep/science/olympus_mons.html
• Crater counting in calderas: from Neukum et al. 2004, Nature 432, 971, news article from PSRD: Recent activity on Mars – Fire and Ice by Linda Martel, http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/Jan05/MarsRecently.html
• Valles Marineris: full-globe view from "Mars Exploration" http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html
• Labelled Valles Marineris map and rendering: from http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/vm_renders.html
• Coprates Chasma: Mars Express image http://esamultimedia.esa.int/images/marsexpress/191-170505-0449-6-nd-01-Coprates_H.jpg
• Flight Through Mariner Valley: from NASA Planetary Photojournal http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02892
• NASA Spacecraft Photographs Avalanches on Mars: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/news/mro-20080303.html
• Phoenix: from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(spacecraft) and APOD 2008 November 12 http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap081112.html
• Possible ancient shorelines: from Head et al. 1999, Science 286, 2134; figures available at http://ssed.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/ocean_paper.html
• Proposed shorelines on the Cydonia plains: from Clifford & Parker 2001, Icarus 154, 40
• Vastitas Borealis Formation: from "Ancient Floodwaters and Seas on Mars" by Linda Martel, http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/July03/MartianSea.html
• Layers in Schiaperelli: Mars Global Surveyor release MOC2-403 http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/06/26/
• Layers in Holden Crater: Mars Global Surveyor release MOC2-262 http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/dec00_seds/holden/index.html
• Delta in Holden Crater: Mars Global Surveyor release MOC2-543 http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/11/13/
• New gully deposits: from NASA Mission News 6 December 2006 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/news/mgs-20061206.html
• Water flows in Newton crater: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/news/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&newsid=1144; see also the BBC story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14408928
• Images from Spirit and Opportunity rovers: all images from NASA Planetary Photojournal: Mars, http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/targetFamily/Mars
• South polar ice cap: from Views of the Solar System: South Polar Cap http://www.solarviews.com/cap/mars/southpol.htm
• Layers at the pole: from Views of the Solar System: Polar Laminated Terrain http://www.solarviews.com/cap/mars/layers.htm
• Water at the south pole: ESA News 15 March 2007 http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEMSWJQ08ZE_0.html
• Location of channels: from Malin Space Science Systems: Mars Channels and Valleys http://www.msss.com/http/ps/channels/channels.html
• Ocean on Mars: from NASA Astrobiology Institute http://nai.nasa.gov/news_stories/news_detail.cfm?article=old/marshypothesis.htm
• Mars obliquity variations: from Laskar et al., Paleoclimats martien, http://www.obspm.fr/actual/nouvelle/oct02/mars.en.shtml
• Methane on Mars: from http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap090119.html
• Hot springs: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090212112829.htm
• Gully in a crater wall: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/bill-dunford/new-views-of-ancient-martian.html
• Caves: from http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070528.html and http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070928.html
• Cliffs at Echus Chasma: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080723.html
• Elongated crater: from ScienceShot: Mars crater gouged by multiple impacts, http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/03/scienceshot-mars-crater-gouged-b.html
• Sedimentary stairs: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2008-227; image from "Quasi-Periodic Bedding in the Sedimentary Rock Record of Mars" by Lewis et al., Science 322, 1532 (2008)
• Mariner 9 images: from http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/targetFamily/Mars?subselect=Spacecraft%3AMariner+9%3A

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Last updated 30 October 2017