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Collection:
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NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Salty Martian Rock
Title
Salty Martian Rock
Title
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Original Caption Released with Image:
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These plots, or spectra, show that a rock dubbed "McKittrick" near the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's landing site at Meridiani Planum, Mars, has higher concentrations of sulfur and bromine than a nearby patch of soil nicknamed "Tarmac." These data were taken by Opportunity's alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, which produces a spectrum, or fingerprint, of chemicals in martian rocks and soil. The instrument contains a radioisotope, curium-244, that bombards a designated area with alpha particles and X-rays, causing a cascade of reflective fluorescent X-rays. The energies of these fluorescent X-rays are unique to each atom in the periodic table, allowing scientists to determine a target's chemical composition.
Both "Tarmac" and "McKittrick" are located within the small crater where Opportunity landed. The full spectra are expressed as X-ray intensity (logarithmic scale) versus energy. When comparing two spectra, the relative intensities at a given energy are proportional to the elemental concentrations, however these proportionality factors can be complex. To be precise, scientists extensively calibrate the instrument using well-analyzed geochemical standards.
Both the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and the rock abrasion tool are located on the rover's instrument deployment device, or arm.
Original_Caption_Rel eased_with_Image
These plots, or spectra, show that a rock dubbed "McKittrick" near the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's landing site at Meridiani Planum, Mars, has higher concentrations of sulfur and bromine than a nearby patch of soil nicknamed "Tarmac." These data were taken by Opportunity's alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, which produces a spectrum, or fingerprint, of chemicals in martian rocks and soil. The instrument contains a radioisotope, curium-244, that bombards a designated area with alpha particles and X-rays, causing a cascade of reflective fluorescent X-rays. The energies of these fluorescent X-rays are unique to each atom in the periodic table, allowing scientists to determine a target's chemical composition.
Both "Tarmac" and "McKittrick" are located within the small crater where Opportunity landed. The full spectra are expressed as X-ray intensity (logarithmic scale) versus energy. When comparing two spectra, the relative intensities at a given energy are proportional to the elemental concentrations, however these proportionality factors can be complex. To be precise, scientists extensively calibrate the instrument using well-analyzed geochemical standards.
Both the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and the rock abrasion tool are located on the rover's instrument deployment device, or arm.
Original Caption Released with Image
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL/Cornell/Max Planck Institute
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL/Cornell/Max Planck Institute
Image Credit
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Produced By:
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JPL
Produced_By
JPL
Produced By
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Mission:
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Mars Exploration Rover (MER)
Mission
Mars Exploration Rover (MER)
Mission
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Spacecraft:
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Opportunity
Spacecraft
Opportunity
Spacecraft
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Target Name:
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Mars
Target_Name
Mars
Target Name
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Is a satellite of:
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Sol (our sun)
Is_a_satellite_of
Sol (our sun)
Is a satellite of
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Instrument:
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Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT)
Instrument
Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT)
Instrument
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Instrument:
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Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer
Instrument
Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer
Instrument
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Product Size:
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1920 samples x 1080 lines
Product_Size
1920 samples x 1080 lines
Product Size
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facet_what:
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Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Crater
facet_what
Crater
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Spectrometer
facet_what
Spectrometer
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mars
facet_what
Mars
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Opportunity
facet_what
Opportunity
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Planck
facet_what
Planck
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Rock Abrasion Tool
facet_what
Rock Abrasion Tool
facet_what
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facet_what:
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RAT
facet_what
RAT
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer
facet_what
Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mars Exploration Rover (MER)
facet_what
Mars Exploration Rover (MER)
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Mars
facet_where
Mars
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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Image #:
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PIA05469
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UID:
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SPD-PHOTJ-PIA05469
UID
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA05469
UID
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orignial url:
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orignial_url
orignial url
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