Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Contact    |    RSS icon Twitter icon Facebook icon  
Unexplained Mysteries Support Us
You are viewing: Home > News > Space & Astronomy > News story
Welcome Guest ( Login or Register )  
All ▾
Search Submit

Space & Astronomy

Mars lander targets unusual crater

By T.K. Randall
October 3, 2011 · Comment icon 50 comments

Image Credit: NASA
The team behind the car-sized Curiosity rover is hoping to explore an unusual crater called "Gale".
What makes this particular crater interesting is that it has a mountain in the middle, believed to have been formed by the martian winds carving out the sediments. "This may be one of the thickest exposed sections of layered sedimentary rocks in the solar system. The rock record preserved in those layers holds stories that are billions of years old -- stories about whether, when, and for how long Mars might have been habitable," said project scientist Joy Crisp.
Curiosity is about to go to Mars. The car-sized rover, also known as the Mars Science Lab, is scheduled for launch in late November or early December 2011 from the Kennedy Space Center. After an eight-month voyage to Mars, Curiosity will land at the foot of a 3 mile high mountain in a crater named "Gale. "


Source: NASA | Comments (50)

Tags:


Other news and articles

Recent stories:

Jacques Vallee Aliens are killing people, claims real-life 'Close Encounters' scientist
4-30-2025
Vatican secret archives. Next pope to be urged to release UFO files from Vatican's archives
4-29-2025
Rover from Space First-of-its-kind NASA image shows rover on Mars taken from space
4-29-2025
Phrenologist The strange world of phrenology, or 'reading the bumps on your head'
4-28-2025
80-year-old falls from 6th floor window... then walks away unscathed
4-28-2025
Firm announces plan to create world's first Tyrannosaurus rex leather
4-27-2025
<< Previous story
"Face" appears in vacation photograph
Next story >>
London to Sydney in just two hours ?
Our latest videos Visit us on YouTube
Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #41 Posted by bouncer 14 years ago
Yes, very real, the oceans are sick, where fish can't live, jellyfish thrive, they are increasing in alarming numbers. Some fishing grounds are over run with jellies. Unfortunately he's right about the global increase in jellies...But that's got nothing to do with the OP! So its just as well the jellies wont be a problem for the Curiosity Rover then! Ive just been watching some 'movies' (animations) about how Curiosity will land....at least it wont be getting bounced around like the last 2 Rovers were!! and "Curiosity's Stunt Double Takes a Spin": This is a BIG Rover isnt it? Sending 2 Rovers ... [More]
Comment icon #42 Posted by booNyzarC 14 years ago
Very cool videos bouncer, thanks for those.
Comment icon #43 Posted by Gaden 14 years ago
I really like the idea of putting holes in the tires so that the rover can gauge it's progress.
Comment icon #44 Posted by Nuke_em 14 years ago
Everyone is getting enthusiasted, do you really think the NASA will tell the public various information regarding life??? They havent done that part so far. Only thing they are saying is " Life can possibly be found on other planets" Seriously? People in US gov. are highly selfish,greedy and i could find more words for them. But i love that some are resisting to their controling system. You people should demand more information, its your right...you arent depended from country, country depends on you...You are those who pay taxes, gov. is just spending them for secrets,BP,... Stuff you dont ev... [More]
Comment icon #45 Posted by bouncer 14 years ago
Everyone is getting enthusiasted, do you really think the NASA will tell the public various information regarding life??? They havent done that part so far. Only thing they are saying is " Life can possibly be found on other planets" Seriously? People in US gov. are highly selfish,greedy and i could find more words for them. But i love that some are resisting to their controling system. You people should demand more information, its your right...you arent depended from country, country depends on you...You are those who pay taxes, gov. is just spending them for secrets,BP,... Stuff you dont ev... [More]
Comment icon #46 Posted by badeskov 14 years ago
Everyone is getting enthusiasted, do you really think the NASA will tell the public various information regarding life??? Uhm yes. Being able to report life elsewhere would open the coffers and secure them funding they have not even dared to dream about before. They havent done that part so far. Only thing they are saying is " Life can possibly be found on other planets" Seriously? You are making the assumption that NASA has already found life and is keeping it secret. Which is wild speculation, and pretty uninformed. See above. People in US gov. are highly selfish,greedy and i could find more... [More]
Comment icon #47 Posted by Gaden 14 years ago
Everyone is getting enthusiasted, do you really think the NASA will tell the public various information regarding life??? They havent done that part so far. Only thing they are saying is " Life can possibly be found on other planets" Seriously? People in US gov. are highly selfish,greedy and i could find more words for them. But i love that some are resisting to their controling system. You people should demand more information, its your right...you arent depended from country, country depends on you...You are those who pay taxes, gov. is just spending them for secrets,BP,... Stuff you dont ev... [More]
Comment icon #48 Posted by Gaden 14 years ago
IT is one big con game. The space agency spends billions on this new Martian probe and we are told it will advance mankind. We will see new pictures of holes in the ground and we will debate what they mean. IT is all a joke. Naming one of the craters after that astronomer Gale who saw canals on Mars and believed in intelligent life on that planet shows how cynical the agency is today. Are you saying being cynical is a bad thing, Mike?
Comment icon #49 Posted by Archimedes 14 years ago
To those that claim NASA is faking photos and hiding evidence of whatever it is that supposedly exists on Mars... Why? What is the actual reason for NASA going to the trouble of faking hundreds of thousands of satellite and rover photos, lying about all the scientific facts (temperature, atmosphere, etc.) and inventing the fake scientific facts in such a way as to convince all the non-NASA scientists who could spot problems with them, colluding with the likes of the ESA to ensure they have consistent lies and consistent faked satellite photos, etc.? It seems to be a huge effort to go to in ord... [More]
Comment icon #50 Posted by bouncer 14 years ago
To those that claim NASA is faking photos and hiding evidence of whatever it is that supposedly exists on Mars... Why? What is the actual reason for NASA going to the trouble of faking hundreds of thousands of satellite and rover photos, lying about all the scientific facts (temperature, atmosphere, etc.) and inventing the fake scientific facts in such a way as to convince all the non-NASA scientists who could spot problems with them, colluding with the likes of the ESA to ensure they have consistent lies and consistent faked satellite photos, etc.? It seems to be a huge effort to go to in ord... [More]
 Click here to view all 50 comments on this story    


Please Login or Register to post a comment.


Our new book is out now!
Book cover

The Unexplained Mysteries
Book of Weird News

 AVAILABLE NOW 

Take a walk on the weird side with this compilation of some of the weirdest stories ever to grace the pages of a newspaper.

Click here to learn more

We need your help!
Patreon logo

Support us on Patreon

 BONUS CONTENT 

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you can gain access to a wide range of exclusive perks including our popular 'Lost Ghost Stories' series.

Click here to learn more

Recent news and articles
Jacques Vallee
The UFO Phenomenon

Aliens are killing people, claims real-life 'Close Encounters' scientist

4-30-2025 | 3
Vatican secret archives.
The UFO Phenomenon

Next pope to be urged to release UFO files from Vatican's archives

4-29-2025 | 12
Rover from Space
Space & Astronomy

First-of-its-kind NASA image shows rover on Mars taken from space

4-29-2025 | 1
Phrenologist
Metaphysics & Psychology

The strange world of phrenology, or 'reading the bumps on your head'

4-28-2025 | 11
World of the Bizarre

80-year-old falls from 6th floor window... then walks away unscathed

4-28-2025 | 20
Science & Technology

Firm announces plan to create world's first Tyrannosaurus rex leather

4-27-2025 | 8
View More News