
An important threshold on Mars has now been crossed. Landing in mid-2012, the
Curiosity rover is searching for clues of whether life
could ever have existed on the red
planet. Recent findings of Curiosity include evidence for an ancient (but
now dried) freshwater
lake, and the non-detection
of the biomarker methane in the
Martian atmosphere. To continue its investigation, the car-sized rover is on an
expedition to roll up
Mt. Sharp, the central peak of the large crater in
which it landed. Life might have shown preference
for water that
once ran down the Martian mountain. Two weeks ago, to avoid more dangerous and
rocky terrain, Curiosity was directed to roll across
a one-meter high sand dune that blocked a useful entrance to Mt.
Sharp. Just after the short trip over Dingo
Gap was successful, the robotic rover took the above
image showing the now-traversed sand mound
covered with its wheel tracks.
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