美国宇航局的好奇号发回了照片，显示了盖尔环形山在夏普山继续上升时的孤独景象。这些照片拍摄于周日，显示了探测器在调查“中央孤峰”时从左右导航摄像机看到的景象。中央孤峰是科学家感兴趣的地质区域。
火星的盖尔陨石坑形成于大约37亿年前，当时一颗巨大的流星撞击地球表面。撞击使物质飞出，形成一个巨大的陨石坑，将成为一个湖。随着撞击分散的岩石反弹，陨石坑的中心留下了一个中心峰——一座18，000英尺高的山，被美国宇航局称为夏普山。
最新的图像显示了从夏普山一侧回头看盖尔陨石坑边缘的景象。自从美国宇航局的机遇号探测器在今年早些时候去世后，好奇号一直是唯一在火星表面运行的探测器。
从好奇号的左侧导航相机观看。这张照片拍摄于11月3日。
从好奇号右侧导航相机观看。这张照片拍摄于11月3日。
好奇号于2012年被送往盖尔陨石坑，调查这颗行星的潜在可居住性。这项任务原本计划持续两年，但现在已经延长了两次，目前正在提升夏普山。5月，美国宇航局发布了一份拟建的上山路径作为其当前路线的一部分，正在分析沿途的几个孤峰。
孤峰是一座陡峭的孤山。在地球上，它们往往有平坦的顶部和陡峭的侧面，并通过侵蚀和风化形成。在火星上，这些层状岩层可以保存关于地球地质历史的关键信息。位于盖尔环形山中心的夏普山有几个孤峰，好奇号目前正在围绕着中央孤峰移动，试图确定它的特征，并寻找该地区的任何地质变化。
美国宇航局希望看到两个孤峰——中央孤峰和拉普内斯。好奇号的化学照相机——一种能够“识别岩石和土壤的化学和矿物成分”的仪器——正被用来测试基岩。
在博客帖子中11月1日出版美国地质勘探局天体地质科学中心的行星地质学家克里斯汀·班尼特说，“好奇号”位于中央孤峰的一边，正在观察沉积结构。Mastcam仪器正被用来拍摄孤峰的图像，为它制作几个马赛克——最后一个是从孤峰顶部拍摄的，漫游车无法到达。
“在所有这些观察之后，好奇号将开始绕着孤峰开车，从另一边看它。我们希望在下一站继续看到中央孤峰的迷人景色。”
NASA'S CURIOSITY SENDS BACK DESOLATE VIEW OF MARS LANDSCAPE AS IT MAKES ITS LONELY ASCENT OF MOUNT SHARP
NASA's Curiosity has sent back images showing the lonely landscape of the Gale Crater as continues its ascent of Mount Sharp. The images, which were taken Sunday, show the view from the rover's left and right navigation cameras as it investigates the "Central Butte"—an area of geological interest to scientists.
Mars' Gale Crater formed about 3.7 billion years ago when a massive meteor hit the surface of the planet. The impact sent material flying out, creating a huge crater that would become a lake. As the rock dispersed by the impact rebounded, a central peak was left at the center of the crater—an 18,000 foot high mountain that is dubbed Mount Sharp by NASA.
The latest images show the view looking back at the edges of the Gale Crater from the side of Mount Sharp. Since NASA's Opportunity rover died earlier this year, Curiosity has been the only rover operating on the surface of Mars.
View from Curiosity's Left Navigation Camera. The image was taken on November 3.NASA/JPL-CALTECH
View from Curiosity's Right Navigation Camera. The image was taken on November 3.
Curiosity was sent to the Gale Crater in 2012 to investigate the potential habitability of the planet. The mission was originally planned to last two years, but it has now been extended twice and is currently ascending Mount Sharp. In May, NASA released a proposed path up the mountain and, as part of its current path, is analyzing several buttes along the way.
A butte is an isolated hill with steep sides. On Earth, they tend to have flat tops and steep sides, and form through erosion and weathering. On Mars, these layered rock formations could hold key information about the planet's geological history. Mount Sharp—the mountain that sits at the center of the Gale Crater—has several buttes, and Curiosity is currently moving around the central one in a bid to characterize it and look for any geological variations in the area.
NASA is hoping to look at two buttes—the Central Butte and Rapness. Curiosity's ChemCam—an instrument that is able to "identify the chemical and mineral composition of rocks and soils"—is being used to test the bedrock.
In a blog post published November 1, Kristen Bennett, Planetary Geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center, said Curiosity was up the side of the Central Butte looking at the sedimentary structures. The Mastcam instrument is being used to take images of the butte to create several mosaics of it—the final one being one from the top of the butte that the rover cannot reach.
"After all of these observations, Curiosity will start driving around the butte to look at it from the other side. We expect to continue having amazing views of Central Butte at our next stop."
