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.

                                2022 April 15
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                        The Gator-back Rocks of Mars
               Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]JPL-Caltech, [5]MSSS

   Explanation: [6]Wind-sharpened rocks known as ventifacts, cover this
   broad sloping plain in the foot hills of Mount Sharp, Gale crater,
   Mars. Dubbed gator-back rocks their rugged, scaly appearance is
   captured in these digitally stitched Mastcam frames from the Curiosity
   rover on mission sol 3,415 (March 15, 2022). Driving over gator-back
   rocks before has [7]resulted in damage to the rover's wheels, so
   Curiosity team members decided to turn around and [8]take another path
   to continue the rover's climb. Curiosity has been on an ascent of Gale
   crater's central 5.5 kilometer high mountain since 2014. As it climbs,
   it's been able to study layers shaped by [9]water on Mars billions of
   years ago.

                   Tomorrow's picture: the pines of Orion
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    Authors & editors: [21]Robert Nemiroff ([22]MTU) & [23]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([24]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [25]Specific rights apply.
              [26]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [27]ASD at [28]NASA / [29]GSFC
                           & [30]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2204/PIA25175.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
   5. https://www.msss.com/
   6. https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/26654/curiosity-finds-gator-back-rocks-on-greenheugh/
   7. https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/8313/break-in-raised-tread-on-curiosity-wheel/?site=msl
   8. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-s-curiosity-mars-rover-reroutes-away-from-gator-back-rocks
   9. https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8522/nasas-curiosity-rover-finds-an-ancient-oasis-on-mars/?site=msl
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220414.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  14. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  19. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=220415
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220416.html
  21. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  23. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  24. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  26. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  27. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  30. http://www.mtu.edu/