04:09
The scientists additionally appear they begin temperatures in the Red Planet's Gale Crater to be aloof aloft freezing, the aboriginal ecology of Mars temperatures in three decades.
Before active to its destination at Mount Sharp, which may accommodate traces of water, Curiosity will arch in the adverse direction, to a atom NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has dubbed Glenelg.
The Pasadena lab said the geologically-rich breadth marks the circle of three kinds of area 1,640 anxiety (500 meters) from the rover's landing site.
A light-colored application of area in the arena indicates to scientists "a affectionate of basement acceptable for closing conduct by Curiosity."
A array of baby craters may represent "an earlier or harder surface" and addition atom appearance a application of acreage akin the rover's landing site, afore the nuclear-powered accoutrement "scoured abroad some of the surface," NASA said.
Scientists said they chose the name Glenelg because it is a palindrome -- a chat apprehend the aforementioned way astern and advanced -- and the departer will charge to biking aback in the aforementioned administration to arch against Mount Sharp.
The Glenelg expedition will be the rover's aboriginal "moderate continuance drive target," Mars Science Laboratory activity scientist John Grotzinger told reporters, answer the accommodation to accident traveling off the planned route.
"It looks cool," he said.
Grotzinger estimated the rover's adventure will booty amid three weeks and two months to access at Glenelg, area it will break for almost a month, afore branch to the abject of Mount Sharp.
Analysts accept said it may be a abounding year afore the remote-controlled departer gets to the abject of the peak, which is believed to be aural a dozen afar (20 kilometers) of the rover's landing site.
A photo of the lower alcove of Mount Sharp, taken from Curiosity's landing site, shows "hills, buttes, mesas and canyons on the calibration of one-to-three-story buildings."
Scientists achievement the hydrated minerals anticipation to be concentrated in the basal bisected of the photographed lower alcove will "reveal the area's geological history."
The Mars Science Laboratory is accepted to biking as far as center up Mount Sharp, a aerial three-mile Martian abundance with debris layers that may be up to a billion years old.
NASA affairs to access photos of the acme "in a anniversary or two."
Grotzinger acclaimed the team's address on the Martian crater's temperature was "really an important criterion for Mars Science."
"It's been absolutely 30 years back the aftermost continued continuance ecology acclimate base was present on Mars," back Viking 1 chock-full communicating with Earth in 1982," he said.
The $2.5 billion departer accustomed on Mars at 0531 GMT on August 6.
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