Mars and Saturn II Whats New

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Mars and Saturn II Whats New?

• For both planets, the textbooks are being
  rewritten, new developments this summer!

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For Mars, the main scientific question is the
existence of water in the remote past

• Mars Explorations Rovers (Spirit and
  Opportunity are extensively studying two
  regions on the surface of Mars, both chosen for
  possibility of water

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MER landing sites chosen to be places that seemed
to be sites of water

• Spirit Gusev crater crater with apparent
  ancient river flowing into it.
• Opportunity Meridiani Planum site with
  signature of mineral hematite, mineral which
  forms in the presence of water on Earth

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Spirit and Opportunity Landed in January

• Both spacecraft still operating
• Results to date
• Spirit has found no evidence of ancient water on
  the surface (yet)
• Opportunity has found conclusive evidence of
  ancient bodies of water at landing site

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Opportunity landed in small crater with
sedimentary rock deposits
http//marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/oppor
tunity/20040127a/Sol3_mosaic_right-B003R1_br2.jpg
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Aquatic past of Opportunity landing site from
detailed analysis of rock outcropping
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Scientific Conclusions from Opportunity analysis

• Landing site described as once being soaking
  wet
• Deposits of hydrated sulfur salts
• Presence of mineral jarosite (forms in presence
  of water on Earth)
• Pockmarks in rocks believed due to mineral
  pockets dissolvedrocks were submerged
• Ripple patterns in rocks indicating past lakes or
  oceans

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All this strongly indicates (proves?) Opportunity
landing site was submerged in water for a long
period of time, long ago
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Where is Opportunity now? At edge of Endurance
Crater
http//marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/oppor
tunity/20040602a/14-WC-03-navcam-B127R1.jpg

• If Opportunity goes in, it may not be able to
  come out

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Spirit still functioning and searching

• Spirit now less than half a mile from the
  Columbia Hills, best chance for sedimentary
  rocks

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The next planetary adventure this summer Cassini
arrives at Saturn
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One of the fascinating things about Saturn its
moon Titan

• Interesting aspects of Titan (1) 2nd largest
  moon in solar system, (2) only moon with a
  significant atmosphere

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After a voyage of seven years, Cassini will fire
its rockets and enter orbit around Saturn on July
1
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Earth-based observations at infrared wavelengths
reveal surface details on Titan

• There may be a hydrological cycle based on
  methane and ethane on Titan

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Well find out soon the Huygens probe lands in
January