On August 6, 2012,Curiosity (theMars Science Laboratory rover) landed in "Yellowknife"Quad 51[3][4][5][6] ofAeolis Palus,[7] next to the mountain. NASA named the landing siteBradbury Landing on August 22, 2012.[8] Aeolis Mons is a primary goal for scientific study.[9] On June 5, 2013, NASA announced thatCuriosity would begin an 8 km (5.0 mi) journey from theGlenelg area to the base of Aeolis Mons. On November 13, 2013, NASA announced that an entryway the rover would traverse on its way to Aeolis Mons was to be named "Murray Buttes", in honor ofplanetary scientistBruce C. Murray (1931–2013).[10] The trip was expected to take about a year and would include stops along the way to study the local terrain.[11][12][13]
On September 11, 2014, NASA announced thatCuriosity had reached Aeolis Mons, the rover mission's long-term prime destination.[14][15] Possiblerecurrent slope lineae, wetbrine flows, were reported on Mount Sharp nearCuriosity in 2015.[16] In June 2017, NASA reported that an ancientstriated lake had existed in Gale crater that could have been favorable formicrobial life.[17][18][19]
The mountain appears to be an enormous mound of eroded sedimentary layers sitting on the central peak of Gale. It rises 5.5 km (18,000 ft) above the northern crater floor and 4.5 km (15,000 ft) above the southern crater floor, higher than the southern crater rim. The sediments may have been laid down over an interval of 2 billion years,[20] and may have once completely filled the crater. Some of the lower sediment layers may have originally been deposited on a lake bed,[20] while observations of possibly cross-bedded strata in the upper mound suggestaeolian processes.[21] However, this issue is debated,[22][23] and the origin of the lower layers remains unclear.[21] Ifkatabatic wind deposition played the predominant role in the emplacement of the sediments, as suggested by reported 3 degree radial slopes of the mound's layers, erosion would have come into play largely to place an upper limit on the mound's growth.[24][25]
On December 8, 2014, a panel of NASA scientists discussed (archive 62:03) the latest observations ofCuriosity about how water may have helped shape the landscape of Mars, including Aeolis Mons, and had a climate long ago that could have produced long-lasting lakes at many Martian locations.[26][27][28]
On October 8, 2015, NASA confirmed that lakes and streams existed in Gale crater 3.3 - 3.8 billion years ago delivering sediments to build up the lower layers of Mount Sharp.[29][30]
On February 1, 2019, NASA scientistsreported thatCuriosity had determined, for the first time, the density of Mount Sharp in Gale crater, thereby establishing a clearer understanding of how the mountain was formed.[31][32]
In comparison,Mount Everest rises to 8.8 km (29,000 ft) altitude above sea level (asl), but is only4.6 km (15,000 ft) (base-to-peak) (btp).[34] Africa'sMount Kilimanjaro is about 5.9 km (19,000 ft) altitude above sea level to the Uhuru peak;[35] also 4.6 km base-to-peak.[36] America'sDenali, also known asMount McKinley, has a base-to-peak of 5.5 km (18,000 ft).[37]The Franco-ItalianMont Blanc/Monte Bianco is 4.8 km (16,000 ft) in altitude above sea level,[38][39]Mount Fuji, which overlooks Tokyo, Japan, is about 3.8 km (12,000 ft) altitude. Compared to theAndes, Aeolis Mons would rank outside the hundred tallest peaks, being roughly the same height as Argentina'sCerro Pajonal; the peak is higher than any above sea level in Oceania, but base-to peak it is considerably shorter than Hawaii'sMauna Kea andits neighbors.
Discovered in the 1970s,[citation needed] the mountain remained unnamed for several decades. When Gale crater became a candidate landing site, the mountain was given various labels e.g. in 2010 a NASA photo caption called it "Gale crater mound".[40] In March 2012, NASA unofficially named it "Mount Sharp", after American geologistRobert P. Sharp.[1][41]
Comparison ofMount Sharp (Aeolis Mons) to the sizes of three large mountains on Earth.
NASA and theEuropean Space Agency[47] continue to refer to the mountain as "Mount Sharp" in press conferences and press releases. This is similar to their use of other informal names, such as theColumbia Hills near one of theMars Exploration Rover landing sites.
In August 2012, the magazineSky & Telescope ran an article explaining the rationale of the two names and held an informal poll to determine which one was preferred by their readers. Over 2700 people voted, with Aeolis Mons winning by 57% to Mount Sharp's 43%.[41]
Geology map – from the crater floor inAeolis Palus up the slopes of Aeolis Mons (September 11, 2014).
Rocks in "Hidden Valley" near the "Pahrump Hills" on the slopes of Aeolis Mons as viewed fromCuriosity (September 11, 2014;white balanced).
On December 16, 2014, NASA reported detecting, based on measurements by theCuriosity rover, an unusual increase, then decrease, in the amounts ofmethane in theatmosphere of the planet Mars; as well as, detecting Martianorganic chemicals in powder drilled from arock by the rover. Also, based ondeuterium tohydrogen ratio studies, much of thewater at Gale Crater on Mars was found to have been lost during ancient times, before the lakebed in the crater was formed; afterwards, large amounts of water continued to be lost.[48][49][50]
On June 1, 2017, NASA reported that theCuriosity rover provided evidence of an ancient lake in Gale crater on Mars that could have been favorable formicrobial life; the ancient lake wasstratified, with shallows rich inoxidants and depths poor in oxidants; and, the ancient lake provided many different types of microbe-friendly environments at the same time. NASA further reported that theCuriosity rover will continue to explore higher and younger layers of Mount Sharp in order to determine how the lake environment in ancient times on Mars became the drier environment in more modern times.[17][18][19]
On April 11, 2019, NASA announced thatCuriosity had drilled into, and closely studied, a "clay-bearing unit" which, according to the rover Project Manager, is a "major milestone" inCuriosity's journey up Mount Sharp.[53]
MarsCuriosity rover explores Mount Sharp (May 15, 2019)
In January 2023,Curiosity viewed and studied the "Cacao" meteorite.
Curiosity views the "Cacao" meteorite (28 January 2023)
In August 2023,Curiosity explored the upperGediz Vallis Ridge.[54][55] A panoramic view of the ridge ishere, and a 3D rendered view ishere.
Self-portrait ofCuriosity at the Mojave site (January 31, 2015).
As of March 29, 2025,Curiosity has been on the planet Mars for 4495sols (4618total days) since landing on August 6, 2012. Since September 11, 2014,Curiosity has beenexploring the slopes ofMount Sharp,[14][15] where more information about thehistory of Mars is expected to be found.[56] As of January 26, 2021, the rover has traveled over 24.15 km (15.01 mi) and climbed over 327 m (1,073 ft) in elevation[57][58][59] to, and around, the mountain base since landing at "Bradbury Landing" in August 2012.[57][58]
Layers at the base of Aeolis Mons - dark rock in inset is same size asCuriosity (white balanced image).
Curiosity'swheels - Aeolis Mons is in the background (MAHLI, September 9, 2012).
First-Year and First-MileTraverse Map of theCuriosity rover on Mars (August 1, 2013) (3-D).
Curiosity (in rectangle) in thePahrump Hills of Mount Sharp – as viewed from space (MRO;HiRISE; December 13, 2014).
Curiosity rover (center bright blue) on Mount Sharp viewed from orbit (MRO;HiRISE; June 5, 2017).[61]
Curiosity's view of the "Rocknest" area – South is center/North at both ends; "Mount Sharp" at SE horizon (somewhat left-of-center); "Glenelg" at East (left-of-center); rover tracks at West (right-of-center) (November 16, 2012;white balanced) (raw color) (interactives).
Curiosity's view of "Amargosa Valley" on the slopes of "Mount Sharp" (September 11, 2014;white balanced image).
Curiosity's southward-looking view on the slopes of "Mount Sharp" (April 11, 2015).[62]
Curiosity's view near "Logan Pass" on the slopes of "Mount Sharp" (May 10, 2015;white balanced image).
^abAnderson, R. B.; Bell III, J. F. (2010). "Geologic mapping and characterization of Gale Crater and implications for its potential as a Mars Science Laboratory landing site".International Journal of Mars Science and Exploration.5:76–128.Bibcode:2010IJMSE...5...76A.doi:10.1555/mars.2010.0004.
^Adam Helman, 2005.The Finest Peaks : Prominence and Other Mountain Measures, p. 9: "the base to peak rise of Mount McKinley is the largest of any mountain that lies entirely above sea level, some 18000 feet"
!["Murray Buttes" knobs - Aeolis Mons slopes (November 13, 2013).[10]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aPIA17587-MarsCuriosityRover-MurrayButtes-20131113.jpg)
![Curiosity drilled into a "clay-bearing unit".[53] (April 11, 2019)](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aPIA23138-MarsCuriosityRover-Drills-ClayBearingUnit-20190406.gif)
![MSL debris field viewed by HiRISE on August 17, 2012 - parachute is 615 m (2,018 ft) from Curiosity.[60] (3-D: rover & parachute)](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aPIA15696-HiRISE-MSL-Sol11_2_-br2.jpg)
