Gravel in Gale crater which resembles that found in riverbeds on Earth. Click for larger image. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech
The gravel in this recent image from the Curiosity rover is interesting. It looks like riverbed gravel on Earth, and the rover is still on the outskirts of an alluvial fan in Gale crater, which is thought to have been formed by an old stream entering the crater in the distant past. During last Wednesday’s NASA teleconference, it was noted that the scientists involved are excited about this, but are not saying much until they know more. In today’s teleconference, it was mentioned that they are still working on examining the terrain in this area overall, with maybe more information by next week.
Paul Scott Anderson is a freelance space writer with a life-long passion for space exploration and astronomy. He currently writes for AmericaSpace, Universe Today and Examiner.com. His own blog The Meridiani Journal is a chronicle of planetary exploration.
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