NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Collection

Red Mars from Spirit

Rocks are strewn across the broad, flat Gusev crater floor in this sharp color picture [ http://www.jpl.nasa…captions/image-1.htm l ] from NASA's Spirit rover [ http://marsrovers.j…spacecraft_surface_r over.html ]. Recorded by the rover's panoramic camera [ http://marsrovers.j…spacecraft_instru_pa ncam.html ], the picture is part of Spirit's first color image [ http://www.jpl.nasa…] of Mars - the highest resolution picture yet taken on the surface of another planet. Already revealing alluring and perplexing [ http://www.jpl.nasa…captions/image-5.htm l ] details of an apparently windswept [ http://www.jpl.nasa…captions/image-4.htm l ] plain thought to be an ancient lake bed [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], this stunning view represents only a small fraction of the color image data mission scientists expect to be transmitted in the coming days. As the robotic Spirit rover is preparing [ http://marsrovers.j…] to stand up, roll off the lander, and explore [ http://marsrovers.j…] the geology of the crater floor, NASA has announced plans to rename the landing site the Columbia Memorial Station [ http://www.jpl.nasa…] in honor of the astronauts [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] lost in the Columbia space shuttle accident.

Mars Exploration Rover Mission [ http://marsrovers.j…], JPL [ http://www.jpl.nasa…], NASA [ http://www.nasa.gov…]

Mars

Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Mars

Crater

Spirit

Panoramic Camera

Columbia

Space Shuttle Orbiter

http://antwrp.gsfc.…

SPD-APOD-ap040107