Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2019 October 29
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                 Curiosity Rover Finds a Clay Cache on Mars
               Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]JPL-Caltech, [5]MSSS

   Explanation: Why is there clay on Mars? On Earth, [6]clay can form at
   the bottom of a peaceful lake when specific minerals trap water. At the
   [7]pictured site on [8]Mars, the robotic rover Curiosity drilled into
   two rocks and found the [9]highest concentration of clay yet. The
   [10]clay cache is considered addition evidence that [11]Gale Crater
   once held water in the distant past. [12]Pictured, 57 images taken by
   Curiosity have been combined into a selfie. The images were taken by a
   camera at the end of its robotic arm. Many details of the [13]car-sized
   rover are visible, including its rugged wheels, numerous scientific
   instruments, and a high mast that contains camera "eyes", one of which
   can shoot out an infrared laser beam. [14]Curiosity continues to roll
   around and up [15]Mount Sharp -- in the center of Gale Crater -- in a
   search for new clues about the ancient history of Mars and whether or
   not the red planet once had conditions that could [16]support life.

                     Tomorrow's picture: orion in detail
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    Authors & editors: [28]Robert Nemiroff ([29]MTU) & [30]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([31]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [32]Specific rights apply.
              [33]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [34]ASD at [35]NASA / [36]GSFC
                           & [37]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1910/ClayCache_Curiosity_9990.jpg
   3. http://www.nasa.gov/
   4. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
   5. http://www.msss.com/
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay
   7. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA23240
   8. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mars/overview/
   9. https://www.universetoday.com/142375/curiosity-has-found-the-mother-lode-of-clay-on-the-surface-of-mars/
  10. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasas-curiosity-mars-rover-finds-a-clay-cache
  11. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia15292.html
  12. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23240
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiosity_(rover)#/media/File:PIA15279_3rovers-stand_D2011_1215_D521.jpg
  14. https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/24670/curiosity-at-glen-etive/
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140308.html
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191028.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  21. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  26. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=191029
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191030.html
  28. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  29. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  31. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  34. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  37. http://www.mtu.edu/