Name Approved For Feature on Mars: Phison Patera
20 March 2019The IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature has approved the name Phison Patera for a feature on Mars. For more information, see the Mars maps MC-05 and MC-13 in the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature.
Three Names Approved for Mars: Barth, Thymiamata Serpens, and Meridiani Serpentes
8 March 2019The IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature has approved three new names for features on Mars: Barth, Thymiamata Serpens, and Meridiani Serpentes. For more information, see the Mars maps MC-11 and MC-12.
My Time With Oppy
21 February 2019The piece below was written by Alicia Vaughan, a former USGS Astrogeology researcher who played many roles* on the Mars Exploration Rover mission.The night Opportunity landed was the MOST exciting night of my life. My children are always offended by that, but it’s true. Lots of people… Read More
Name Approved for Neptunian Satellite: Hippocamp
20 February 2019The IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature has approved the name Hippocamp for the small Neptunian satellite (Neptune XIV). For more information see the Planets page in the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature.
Chang'e-4 Landing Site Name Approved: Statio Tianhe
15 February 2019The IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature has approved the name Statio Tianhe for the landing site where the Chinese spacecraft Chang'e-4 touched town on January 3, 2019, the first-ever landing on the far side of the Moon. Four other names for features near the landing site have also… Read More
Lunar Legacy February Lecture Tonight
13 February 2019Dr. Ivo Lucchitta, and Dr. Baerbel Lucchitta Scientist Emeritus at Astrogeology Science Center, will be giving a talk entitled From the Mountain to the Moon on Wednesday February 13th about their personal experiences as USGS scientists helping with the Apollo missions, from training… Read More
USGS Flagstaff Science Campus back from shutdown: A notice from the SCD
12 February 2019We would like to take this time to extend thanks to our community for their unwavering support during the partial government shutdown. The USGS Flagstaff Science Campus is back fully operational as of January 28 from the longest shutdown in history lasting 35 days. More than 30 businesses in… Read More
Get to know us: Astrogeology
7 February 2019In 1960, Eugene Shoemaker and a team of other scientists founded the field of astrogeology to develop tools, methods, and training for the Apollo astronauts exploring the Moon. In 1962, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Branch of Astrogeology was established in Menlo Park, California; and in 1963,… Read More
Sols 2301-2303: Looking Forward to the Clay-Bearing Unit
28 January 2019This weekend's plan started off on Sol 2301 with some Mastcam atmospheric observations, followed by ChemCam analysis of "Loch Ness" and "Loch Skeen," examples of brown and gray bedrock. ChemCam also had a long-distance image mosaic of an interesting outcrop in the clay-bearing unit. Once the… Read More
Sol 2164: Science and Good Times at Rock Hall
19 December 2018We are still very excited and happy that the final drill hole, “Rock Hall,” on Vera Rubin Ridge was successful over the weekend. Now we get to analyze the drilled sample with rover instruments. We are planning one sol today, and the big event will be delivering some of the Rock Hall… Read More
