December 23, 2024

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Spots a “Doorway” on Mars

Figure B. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Figure B is the exact same scene as Figure A, the main panorama, however captured using 114 images from the best lens and revealing the top of the mound more completely. The “door” has been circled around in this image.
Figure C. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Figure C is the very same right-lens see panorama as Figure B, however as a 3D anaglyph viewable with red-blue glasses.
Figure D. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Figure D is focused on the “pet door”- formed open fracture, as a 3D anaglyph.
Figure E. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Figure E is the very same 3D anaglyph as Figure D, but with annotations indicating the approximate width, height, and depth of the open fracture.
A low-angle self-portrait of NASAs Curiosity Mars rover. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Curiosity was built by NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which leads the mission on behalf of NASAs Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and runs Mastcam.

NASAs Curiosity Mars rover caught images of a mound of rock on Mount Sharp called “East Cliffs” that features a fracture that looks like an entrance. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
NASAs Curiosity Mars rover utilized its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to capture this mound of rock nicknamed “East Cliffs” on May 7, 2022, the 3,466 th sol, or Martian day, of the mission. The mound, on Mount Sharp, has a number of naturally taking place open fractures– consisting of one approximately 12 inches (30 centimeters) high and 16 inches (40 centimeters) wide, similar in size to a canine door.

NASAs Curiosity Mars rover recorded pictures of a mound of rock on Mount Sharp called “East Cliffs” that includes a fracture that resembles an entrance. Because of its small size– about 12 inches by 16 inches– some call it a “pet dog door.” Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Door-Shaped Fracture Spotted by Curiosity at East Cliffs
NASAs Curiosity Mars rover utilized its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to catch this mound of rock nicknamed “East Cliffs” on May 7, 2022, the 3,466 th sol, or Martian day, of the objective. The mound, on Mount Sharp, has a number of naturally happening open fractures– including one roughly 12 inches (30 centimeters) tall and 16 inches (40 centimeters) large, comparable in size to a canine door. These sort of open fractures prevail in bedrock, both on Earth and on Mars.
Interest is currently investigating a region on Mount Sharp that may hold proof of a significant modification from wetter to drier conditions in Mars early history.
Figure A. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
The main panorama included here was stitched together using 113 images from Mastcams left lens. The image is processed to approximate the color and brightness of the scene as it would aim to the human eye under regular daytime conditions in the world.