page_title: Timeline of Mars Science Laboratory
section_title: Evidence for atmospheric loss
hierarchical_section_title: Timeline of Mars Science Laboratory / 2013 events / Evidence for atmospheric loss
caption_attribution_description: English: A Unique View of Curiosity Rover in Yellowknife Bay - This image was acquired with a large spacecraft roll to the east when the subsolar latitude was -7.26 degrees, close to the latitude of MSL (-4.6 degrees), resulting in an image with the sun, the MRO spacecraft, and the MSL Curiosity rover on the surface all aligned in nearly a straight line (phase angle of just 5.47 degrees). This geometry hides shadows and better reveals subtle color variations. With enhanced colors, we can view the region around the landing site and Yellowknife Bay. The rover is the very bright spot near the lower right. The rover tracks stand out clearly in this view, extending west to the landing site where two bright, relatively blue spots indicate where MSL's landing jets cleared off the redder surface dust. The rover is now driving south towards the large mound in Gale Crater officially named Aeolis Mons and also called "Mount Sharp."
context_page_description: The Mars Science Laboratory and its rover, Curiosity, were launched from Earth on November 26, 2011. As of August 29, 2020, Curiosity has been on the planet Mars for 2867 sols since landing on August 5, 2012.
context_section_description: On April 8, 2013, NASA reported that much of the atmosphere of Mars has been lost based on argon isotope ratios studies.
  On July 19, 2013, NASA scientists published the results of a new analysis of the atmosphere of Mars, reporting a lack of methane around the landing site of the Curiosity rover. In addition, the scientists found evidence that Mars "has lost a good deal of its atmosphere over time", based on the abundance of isotopic compositions of gases, particularly those related to argon and carbon.
caption: Curiosity rover (very bright spot near the lower right) and "Tracks" from Bradbury Landing to John Klein in Yellowknife Bay - as viewed from Space (MRO; HiRISE; June 27, 2013).
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