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Sol 397 Update On Curiosity From USGS Scientist Ken Herkenhoff: Blind Observations

MSL planning is restricted again this week, so Sol 397 was planned without knowing the position of the rover after the Sol 396 drive.


MSL planning is restricted again this week, so Sol 397 was planned without knowing the position of the rover after the Sol 396 drive. Fortunately, there were a number of blind observations that could be scheduled this sol, including repeated Mastcam and Navcam observations of the ground left and right of the rover to measure the changes in reflectance at various times of day. This type of photometric campaign has helped us understand the properties and structure of the surface of Mars on previous missions, and we hope that new data will continue to inform us. In addition, ChemCam and Mastcam nighttime images of the Andromeda galaxy and the star Sirius were planned to test MSL’s ability to observe the comets that are approaching the inner solar system.

Written by Ken Herkenhoff, Planetary Geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center

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Last Updated
Oct 30, 2024

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