At 14:48:34 UTC the Mastcam Right captured this nice view with rounded hillocks, against the background of a blue sky but partially covered by white clouds.The wad-like appearance of this cloud is definitely different from the cirrus clouds that sometimes veil the Martian sky.However, it remains a mystery to me how clouds can form in an atmosphere so dry that if we condense all the moisture in it to the ground, we would get a layer of liquid water about a hundredth of a millimeter thick!The original image is a black and white encoding of the Bayer mask that has been converted to color through a process called “debayering” or “demosaicing”. In addition, the photo has undergone noise reduction due to Jpeg compression, white balance and a slight increase in microcontrast and color saturation in order to make the colors more similar to what the human eye would see.Original image: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/02492/mcam/2492MR0132360070304998C00_DXXX.jpg This post has been automatically translated. See the original post here.

At 16:31:54 UTC the Mastcam Right captured this group of boulders and rocks of obvious sedimentary origin.I find the presence of extremely smooth and rounded rocks and sharp-edged rocks very interesting.Also note how the soil around the rock at the top of the photo appears darker and in places shaped by the flow of a liquid, probably water condensed on the rocks themselves.The original image is a black and white encoding of the Bayer mask that has been converted to color through a process called “debayering” or “demosaicing”. In addition, the photo has undergone noise reduction due to Jpeg compression, white balance and a slight increase in microcontrast and color saturation in order to make the colors more similar to what the human eye would see. Original image: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/02492/mcam/2492MR0132430530305117C00_DXXX.jpg This post has been automatically translated. See the original post here.

At 11:04:34 UTC the Mastcam Right took this nice photo of the drilling just performed by Curiosity in the area called “Glen Etive 1”.With so many interesting rocks seen in the last days, I would have expected in drilling site a little more interesting than this simple layered rock.In any case, the hole obtained appears to be deep enough and so we hope that the sample collected will be useful for physicochemical analysis.In this case, the excavated material appears to be the same “Mars red” color as the rock itself, so I believe that the analyses will not provide any particular results, contrary to other drillings in which the excavated material appeared even bluish. However, we will wait patiently for the results of this (and other…) analyses, as soon as they are officially published.To show colors more similar to those that the human eye would see, I subjected the image to a reduction of noise due to Jpeg compression, white balance and a slight increase in microcontrast and color saturation. Original image: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/02486/mcam/2486MR0132080010404946E01_DXXX.jpg This post has been automatically translated. See the original post here.

Arsia Mons, August 4, 2019: the volcano wakes up!!! After months of no observation and an apparent quiescence since last June 19 (see https://www.facebook.com/PianetaMarte.MdM/photos/a.1625578140858706/2260042377412276/), the activity of Arsia Mons definitely seems to resume in a big way!Ridiculous explanations such as “seasonal phenomenon” or “orographic cloud” no longer hold up and it is time that someone decided to give more credible explanations.Not only a nice puff coming from the volcano itself, but also a nice “cloud” visible well beyond the border between day and night (terminator). In fact, the “cloud” connected to the puff of Arsia Mons (top left) must soar well over 60 km altitude to be visible at that distance from the terminator, an altitude at which not even on Earth similar clouds are formed, despite the fact that the Earth has an atmosphere (officially!) 100 times denser! Original image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/esa_marswebcam/48462619377/ This post has been automatically translated. See the original post here.

At 08:43:46 UTC the Mastcam Right shot for the third time this suggestive hillock of stratified rocks with the blue sky for background but this time slightly veiled!I suggest you to compare this image with the two previous ones, that of Sol 2458 (see https://www.facebook.com/PianetaMarte.MdM/photos/a.1625578140858706/2291028767646970/) and that of Sol 2464 (see https://www.facebook.com/PianetaMarte.MdM/photos/a.1625578140858706/2300905249992655/). Compared to the previous image there are further differences in the color of the rocks, while the angle of illumination (of the Sun) is the same.So, if between the first and the second photo the big difference in the angle of illumination could have been partly the cause of the differences in the colors of the rocks, between the second and the third (this one!) the angle of illumination is practically the same, so the color differences in this case can only be attributed to physical-chemical alterations of the ground itself, alterations already observed in some shots of Opportunity (see https://www.facebook.com/PianetaMarte.MdM/videos/1668518819897971/). In your opinion what could cause such obvious changes in such a relatively short period of time?The original image is a black and white encoding of the Bayer mask that has been converted to color through a process called “debayering” or “demosaicing”. In addition, the photo has undergone noise reduction due to Jpeg compression, white balance and a slight increase in microcontrast and color saturation in order to make the colors more similar to what the human eye would see. Original image: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/02484/mcam/2484MR0132030230504902C00_DXXX.jpg This post has been automatically translated. See the original post here.

At 23:02:37 UTC the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) has taken this beautiful picture of a Martian rock from a distance of only 7.47 cm and with a definition of 0.0338 mm/pixel, thus covering an area of 5.31 cm X 3.95 cm.An incredible interweaving of limestone (or gypsum), such as to create such intricate textures as to make the surface of this rock worthy of an abstract painting; it occurs to me that sometimes nature creates true works of art!If you’d like, download the image from the options menu from the photo and zoom in well on the various details. You’ll notice some really intricate thin branching branches; definitely spectacular.This photo has been processed to allow a better view of the colors by making them more like what the human eye would see, balancing the white and slightly increasing the microcontrast and color saturation. Original image: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/02483/mhli/2483MH0001530000903011R00_DXXX.jpg This post has been automatically translated. See the original post here.

At 04:16:30 UTC Mastcam Left took this nice photo of the inner rim of Gale Crater.The horizon appears veiled by a kind of haze very similar to that observed here on Earth during humid days, but less intense than in other photos.If this haze was due to dust in suspension it would appear ocher in color and not tending to blue as in this case.Also in this photo the variations in the color of the terrain create a sort of rainbow as you go toward the horizon, with the far peaks decidedly bluish.The original image is a black and white encoding of the Bayer mask that has been converted to color through a process called “debayering” or “demosaicing”. In addition, the photo has undergone noise reduction due to Jpeg compression, white balance and a slight increase in microcontrast and color saturation. Original image: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/02481/mcam/2481ML0131690000904572C00_DXXX.jpg This post has been automatically translated. See the original post here.

At 06:09:12 UTC Mastcam Left took this picture of Martian layered rocks.These rocks appear on average of the typical “Mars red” color, except in the inlets and recesses where the color turns decidedly turquoise.The ground also shows similar color variations, but also shows two very interesting “flows” darker than the surrounding terrain in the left side of the image; liquid water?Are we looking at the first close-up photo of two small RSLs (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_flows_on_warm_Martian_slopes)??? Spread this picture and try to submit it to as many people as you think may have a minimum of expertise on the subject, I am really curious to see the explanations that will give.I wonder if the technicians of Curiosity will try to investigate the chemical and physical nature of these two “likely” flows of liquid water, we hope!To show colors more similar to those that the human eye would see, I subjected the image to a reduction of noise due to Jpeg compression, white balance and a slight increase in microcontrast and color saturation. Original image: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/02475/mcam/2475ML0131400030904262E01_DXXX.jpg This post has been automatically translated. See the original post here.