
Curiosity’s location as of Sol 4078. Distance driven to date 19.43 miles/31.27 kilometers.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover at Gale Crater is now wrapping up Sol 4078 duties.
“We arrived at a workspace with bedrock delightfully dotted with resistant features whose granular appearance and gray color were intriguing,” reports Michelle Minitti, a planetary geologist at Framework in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Those features were intriguing enough to warrant attention from a number of Curiosity instruments: Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS), Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam), as well as the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI).

Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 4078, January 26, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
More data the better
These Curiosity instruments were targeted to one of these features, “Tehipite Dome,” while MAHLI and APXS were set to target a different feature on the same block, “Sierra Columbine,” after the dust removal tool brushes it.
“When we are investigating such features,” Minitti adds, “the more data the better!”
ChemCam also planned long distance imaging of two of the features dominating the rover’s skyline — the “Kukenan” butte and the Gediz Vallis Ridge.

Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 4078, January 26, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Sun safety
“The mosaics had to be carefully planned to avoid any risk of sun getting into the ChemCam optics — what we colloquially refer to as “sun safety.” The mosaics balance sun safety with imaging the exact features of interest on each rise,” Minitti says, “a delicate dance to achieve great science!”
The robot’s Mastcam joined in imaging of the Gediz Vallis Ridge, overlapping the ChemCam-targeted area to provide context and additional coverage.

Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 4078, January 26, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
“Mastcam’s other planned mosaics focused closer to the rover, capturing different structures and features of interest,” reports Minitti. “Frozen Pass Lake” looks at the light and dark banding Mars scientists have been exploring from their current perspective on it.

Curiosity Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) photo produced on Sol 4078, January 26, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Near-vertical vein
“Rough Spur” captures a near-vertical vein that sharply divides a bedrock block, Minitti notes.
“On one side of the vein, the bedrock exhibits thin layers, but on the other side of the vein, the bedrock is structureless,” Minitti observes. “The ‘Mule Ears’ bedrock block has multiple subparallel veins that artfully fan out through the block.”

Curiosity Front Hazard Avoidance Camera Right B image taken on Sol 4078, January 26, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Minitti says that, before the rover drives further south and uphill for the weekend, Navcam is scheduled to look for dust devils and clouds near midday.

Curiosity Front Hazard Avoidance Camera Right B image taken on Sol 4078, January 26, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Delightful workspace
Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) DAN passive, the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) and the Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) were to run before, during and after the drive, “and REMS and RAD continue long into the wee hours before the next plan begins.”

Curiosity Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam) Remote Micro-Imager (RMI) photo acquired on Sol 4078, January 26, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL
Once the rover is settled in at its next, hopefully equally delightful workspace, Minitti says, Navcam and Mastcam will measure the amount of dust in the atmosphere in the late afternoon and the Mars Descent Imager (MARDI) was slated to image the terrain beneath the rover near twilight.
“Whatever will we find next?”