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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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Evidence of a Water-Soaked Past
Title
Evidence of a Water-Soaked Past
Title
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Original Caption Released with Image:
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This navigation camera image taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on the 36th martian day, or sol, of its mission (March 1, 2004) shows the layered rocks of the "El Capitan" area near the rover's landing site at Meridani Planum, Mars. Visible on two of the rocks are the holes drilled by the rover, which provided scientists with a window to this part of the red planet's water-soaked past.
Scientists used the rover's microscopic imager and two spectrometers to look at the details of the freshly exposed, clean surfaces created by the rover's rock abrasion tool. Seeing beyond the veil of dust and coatings on the surface of the rock, scientists obtained the best views of the chemical composition of the areas. These data indicated that the rocks are made up of types of sulfate that could have only been created by interaction between water and martian rock.
The chemical make-up of the two holes is slightly different, giving scientists an inkling into the geologic history of this area. This history may help to explain the origin of the granular hematite found around the small crater cradling Opportunity and the "El Capitan" rock region.
The sulfates and the other chemicals found in the rocks at this location on Mars also occur on Earth, but only rarely. In places like Rio Tinto, Spain, similar minerals are forming today, and microorganisms live and thrive there.
Analyzing these two clean surfaces created by the rock abrasion tool proves that Mars had interactions between water and rock over extended amounts of time. Life on Earth is sustained by extended interaction between water and the environment. The fact that scientists have now found evidence of a similar relationship between water and rock on Mars does not necessarily mean that life did develop on Mars, but it does bring the possibility one step closer to reality.
Opportunity's wheel tracks can be seen at the bottom left and right sides of this image. The tracks extend to the center of the image, indicating where Opportunity sat when it analyzed the rocks with the instruments on its robotic arm.
Original_Caption_Rel eased_with_Image
This navigation camera image taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on the 36th martian day, or sol, of its mission (March 1, 2004) shows the layered rocks of the "El Capitan" area near the rover's landing site at Meridani Planum, Mars. Visible on two of the rocks are the holes drilled by the rover, which provided scientists with a window to this part of the red planet's water-soaked past.
Scientists used the rover's microscopic imager and two spectrometers to look at the details of the freshly exposed, clean surfaces created by the rover's rock abrasion tool. Seeing beyond the veil of dust and coatings on the surface of the rock, scientists obtained the best views of the chemical composition of the areas. These data indicated that the rocks are made up of types of sulfate that could have only been created by interaction between water and martian rock.
The chemical make-up of the two holes is slightly different, giving scientists an inkling into the geologic history of this area. This history may help to explain the origin of the granular hematite found around the small crater cradling Opportunity and the "El Capitan" rock region.
The sulfates and the other chemicals found in the rocks at this location on Mars also occur on Earth, but only rarely. In places like Rio Tinto, Spain, similar minerals are forming today, and microorganisms live and thrive there.
Analyzing these two clean surfaces created by the rock abrasion tool proves that Mars had interactions between water and rock over extended amounts of time. Life on Earth is sustained by extended interaction between water and the environment. The fact that scientists have now found evidence of a similar relationship between water and rock on Mars does not necessarily mean that life did develop on Mars, but it does bring the possibility one step closer to reality.
Opportunity's wheel tracks can be seen at the bottom left and right sides of this image. The tracks extend to the center of the image, indicating where Opportunity sat when it analyzed the rocks with the instruments on its robotic arm.
Original Caption Released with Image
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL
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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Microscopic Imager
Instrument
Microscopic Imager
Instrument
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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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Navigation Camera
Instrument
Navigation Camera
Instrument
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Product Size:
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1024 samples x 1024 lines
Product_Size
1024 samples x 1024 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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Earth
facet_what
Earth
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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Imager
facet_what
Imager
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Microscopic Imager
facet_what
Microscopic Imager
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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Mars Exploration Rover (MER)
facet_what
Mars Exploration Rover (MER)
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Navigation Camera (NC)
facet_what
Navigation Camera (NC)
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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Spain
facet_where
Spain
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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facet_when:
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March 1, 2004
facet_when
March 1, 2004
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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2004
facet_when_year
2004
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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PIA05495
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UID:
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SPD-PHOTJ-PIA05495
UID
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA05495
UID
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orignial url:
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orignial_url
orignial url
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