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Heading Toward 'Von Braun' M …
NASA's Mars Exploration Rove …
5/27/09
Description NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to capture this view of the terrain toward the southeast from the location Spirit reached...
Date 5/27/09
Heading Toward 'Von Braun' M …
NASA's Mars Exploration Rove …
5/27/09
Description NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to capture this view of the terrain toward the southeast from the location Spirit reached...
Date 5/27/09
Spirit's View Beside 'Home P …
NASA's Mars Exploration Rove …
4/16/09
Description NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to take the images that have been combined into this 180-degree view of the rover's surroundings...
Date 4/16/09
Spirit's View Beside 'Home P …
NASA's Mars Exploration Rove …
4/16/09
Description NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to take the images that have been combined into this 180-degree view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,823rd Martian day, or sol, of Spirit's surface mission (Feb. 17, 2009). The center of the view is toward the south-southwest. The rover had driven 23 feet, or 7 meters, eastward earlier on Sol 1823, part of maneuvering to get Spirit into a favorable position for climbing onto the low plateau called 'Home Plate.' However, after two driving attempts with negligible progress during the following three sols, the rover team changed its strategy for getting to destinations south of Home Plate. The team decided to drive Spirit at least partway around Home Plate, instead of ascending the northern edge and taking a shorter route across the top of the plateau. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Date 4/16/09
Skirting an Obstacle
This view from the navigatio …
11/12/09
Description This view from the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows tracks left by backing out of a wind-formed ripple after the rover's wheels had started to dig too deeply into the dust and sand of the ripple. The frames combined into this view were taken on the 1,867th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's mission on Mars (April 25, 2009). The scene spans 120 degrees, from southeastward on the left to westward on the right. Two sols earlier, Opportunity drove 310 feet south-southwestward before stopping when the rover detected that its wheels were slipping more than the limit that engineers had set for the drive. That Sol 1865 (April 23, 2009) drive created the tracks that enter this scene from the left and ended with wheels on the left side of the rover partially embedded in the ripple. On Sol 1866, Opportunity began to back away from this potential trap, but moved only about 11 inches. On Sol 1867, the rover backed up 12 feet before taking this picture. Subsequently, Opportunity proceeded on a path avoiding the ripple where the wheel slippage occurred. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about about 40 inches). This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Date 11/12/09
Rock Garden
This image of a cluster of r …
01/04/10
Description This image of a cluster of rocks labeled 'Rock Garden' is where NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit became embedded in April 2009. The Spirit and Opportunity rovers landed on the Red Planet in January 2004 for what was to be a 90-day mission, but which has lasted 6 Earth years, or 3.2 Mars years. During this time, Spirit has found evidence of a steamy and violent environment on ancient Mars that is quite different from the wet and acidic past documented by Opportunity, which has been operating successfully as it explores halfway around the planet. Spirit used its navigation camera to capture this view of the terrain toward the southeast from the location it reached on the 1,870th Martian day, or sol, on April 7, 2009. Wheels on the western side of the rover broke through the dark, crusty surface into bright, loose, sandy material that was not visible as the rover approached the site. Spirit became stuck in an area near the left of the image's center later in April. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Date 01/04/10
Photo Op
title Photo Op
date 01.25.2004
description This image is one of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's first breathtaking views of the martian landscape after its successful landing at Meridiani Planum on Mars. On the left, the rover's mast can be seen in a stowed position. Opportunity landed Saturday, Jan. 24, 2004 at about 9:05 PST. The image was taken by the rover's navigation camera. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL
Cosmic Crash Scene
title Cosmic Crash Scene
description NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took this image of its own heat shield during the rover's 325th martian day (Dec. 22, 2004). The main structure from the successfully used shield is to the far left. Additional fragments of the heat shield lie in the upper center of the image. The heat shield's impact mark is visible just above and to the right of the foreground shadow of Opportunity's camera mast. This view is a mosaic of three images taken with the rover's navigation camera. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL
Earth From Mars
title Earth From Mars
date 03.08.2004
description This is the first image ever taken of Earth from the surface of a planet beyond the Moon. It was taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit one hour before sunrise on the 63rd Martian day, or sol, of its mission. The image is a mosaic of images taken by the rover's navigation camera showing a broad view of the sky, and an image taken by the rover's panoramic camera of Earth. The contrast in the panoramic camera image was increased two times to make Earth easier to see.The inset shows a combination of four panoramic camera images zoomed in on Earth. The arrow points to Earth. Earth was too faint to be detected in images taken with the panoramic camera's color filters. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL/Cornell/Texas A&M
Looking Back
title Looking Back
date 03.26.2004
description NASA's Opportunity rover looks back at the crater where it landed and spent the first two months of its mission exploring exposed bedrock. This area may have been the shore of a shallow sea. The image is the first 360-degree view from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's new position outside "Eagle Crater," the small crater where the rover landed about two months ago. Scientists are busy analyzing Opportunity's new view of the plains of Meridiani Planum. The plentiful ripples are a clear indication that wind is the primary geologic process currently in effect on the plains. The rover's tracks can be seen leading away from Eagle Crater. At the far left are two depressions - each about a meter (about 3.3 feet) across - that feature bright spots in their centers. One possibility is that the bright material is similar in composition to the rocks in Eagle Crater's outcrop and the surrounding darker material is what's referred to as "lag deposit," or erosional remnants, which are much harder and more difficult to wear away. These twin dimples might be revealing pieces of a larger outcrop that lies beneath. The depression closest to Opportunity is whimsically referred to as "Homeplate" and the one behind it as "First Base." The backshell and parachute that helped protect the rover and deliver it safely to the surface of Mars are also visible near the horizon, at the left of the image. This image was taken by the rover's navigation camera. *Image Credi*: NASA/JPL
Mars in 3-D
title Mars in 3-D
description This sprawling look at the martian landscape surrounding the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is the first 3-D stereo image from the rover's navigation camera. A surface depression nicknamed "Sleepy Hollow" can be seen to center left of the image. Scientists theorize that this topographic feature, measuring about 10 meters (30 feet) in diameter and located approximately 10 to 20 meters (30 to 60 feet) away from Spirit, is either an impact crater or a product of wind-erosion. See more images in the Mars Exploration Rover Image Gallery. *Image credit:*NASA/JPL
Endurance Crater
title Endurance Crater
description This navigation camera mosaic, created from images taken by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on sols 115 and 116 (May 21 and 22, 2004) provides a dramatic view of "Endurance Crater." The rover engineering team carefully plotted the safest path into the football field-sized crater, eventually easing the rover down the slopes around sol 130 (June 12, 2004). To the upper left of the crater sits the rover's protective heatshield, which sheltered Opportunity as it passed through the martian atmosphere. The 360-degree view is presented in a cylindrical projection, with geometric and radiometric seam correction. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL
Above Spirit
title Above Spirit
date 01.03.2004
description A mosaic image taken by Spirit's navigation camera shows the Mars Exploration Rover sitting on its landing platform only hours after touching down on Gusev Crater. The image has been reprocessed to imove the view. See more Spirit images in the Mars Exploration Rover Image Gallery. *Image Credit*: NASA
Opportunity's Close-up of 'O …
marscollection, nasa
An iron meteorite is the lat …
485132main_PIA13417-anaglyph
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2010-09-29
creator NASA
identifier 485132main_PIA13417-anaglyph
Opportunity's Surroundings A …
marscollection, nasa
This mosaic of images from t …
484978main_pia13416
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2010-09-29
creator NASA
identifier 484978main_pia13416
Opportunity's Surroundings A …
marscollection, nasa
This mosaic of images from t …
484925main_pia13413
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2010-09-29
creator NASA
identifier 484925main_pia13413
Opportunity's Close-up of 'O …
marscollection, nasa
An iron meteorite is the lat …
485110main_PIA13417-right
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2010-09-29
creator NASA
identifier 485110main_PIA13417-right
Opportunity's Close-up of 'O …
marscollection, nasa
An iron meteorite is the lat …
485121main_PIA13417-left
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2010-09-29
creator NASA
identifier 485121main_PIA13417-left
'Cambridge Bay' Outcrop Exam …
marscollection, nasa
This panorama taken by NASA' …
480423main_pia13372
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2010-09-07
creator NASA
identifier 480423main_pia13372
Opportunity's Surroundings A …
marscollection, nasa
This stereo mosaic of images …
484977main_pia13415
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2010-09-29
creator NASA
identifier 484977main_pia13415
Opportunity's Surroundings A …
marscollection, nasa
This mosaic of images from t …
484937main_pia13414
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2010-09-29
creator NASA
identifier 484937main_pia13414
The Temperature of "Enduranc …
PIA06015
Sol (our sun)
Miniature Thermal Emission S …
Title The Temperature of "Endurance
Original Caption Released with Image The colored dots in this image mosaic denote thermal data in features that make up the impact crater known as "Endurance." The data was taken by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer instrument on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. The information has been overlaid onto a view of the crater from the rover's navigation camera. Blue denotes cooler temperatures of about 220 degrees Kelvin (-63.67 degrees Fahrenheit or -53.15 degrees Celsius), and red denotes warmer temperatures of about 280 degrees Kelvin (44.33 degrees Fahrenheit or 6.85 degrees Celsius).
Clouds over 'Endurance' on S …
PIA07105
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title Clouds over 'Endurance' on Sol 290
Original Caption Released with Image Clouds add drama to the sky above "Endurance Crater" in this mosaic of frames taken by the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity at about 9:30 a.m. on the rover's 290th sol (Nov. 16, 2004). The view spans an arc from east on the left to the southwest on the right. These clouds are part of a band that forms near the equator when Mars is near the part of its orbit that is farthest from the Sun. For Opportunity (and Spirit and the rest of the southern hemisphere), this occurs in late fall and early winter. During this period, atmospheric temperatures and the amount of water vapor combine to form large-scale clouds. These clouds look like Earth's cirrus clouds and share other similarities with cirrus clouds in that they are believed to be composed entirely of water-ice particles with sizes on the order of several micrometers (a few ten-thousandths of an inch). The images that are combined to produce this view have been processed to remove geometrical distortion associated with the camera's 45-degree field of view. In addition, special image processing has been applied to enhance the clouds and make them visible across the entire mosaic. The rim of Endurance was processed using the same technique, illustrating how much enhancement was done. Glare from the Sun washed out the clouds on the left in the original images, this glare was removed.
After Conquering 'Husband Hi …
PIA03061
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title After Conquering 'Husband Hill,' Spirit Moves On
Original Caption Released with Image The first explorer ever to scale a summit on another planet, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has begun a long trek downward from the top of "Husband Hill" to new destinations. As shown in this 180-degree panorama from east of the summit, Spirit's earlier tracks are no longer visible. They are off to the west (to the left in this view). Spirit's next destination is "Haskin Ridge," straight ahead along the edge of the steep cliff on the right side of this panorama. The scene is a mosaic of images that Spirit took with the navigation camera on the rover's 635th Martian day, or sol, (Oct. 16, 2005) of exploration of Gusev Crater on Mars. This view is presented in a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction.
After Conquering 'Husband Hi …
PIA03063
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title After Conquering 'Husband Hill,' Spirit Moves On (Vertical)
Original Caption Released with Image The first explorer ever to scale a summit on another planet, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has begun a long trek downward from the top of "Husband Hill" to new destinations. As shown in this 180-degree panorama from east of the summit, Spirit's earlier tracks are no longer visible. They are off to the west (to the left in this view). Spirit's next destination is "Haskin Ridge," straight ahead along the edge of the steep cliff on the right side of this panorama. The scene is a mosaic of images that Spirit took with the navigation camera on the rover's 635th Martian day, or sol, (Oct. 16, 2005) of exploration of Gusev Crater on Mars. This view is presented in a vertical projection with geometric seam correction.
First Look at Spirit on Mars …
PIA04989
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title First Look at Spirit on Mars-2
Original Caption Released with Image This mosaic image taken by the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has been further processed, resulting in a significantly improved 360 degree panoramic view of the rover on the surface of Mars.
View From Above Spirit on Ma …
PIA04983
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title View From Above Spirit on Mars
Original Caption Released with Image This mosaic image taken by the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit represents an overhead view of the rover on the surface of Mars.
First Look at Spirit on Mars
PIA04980
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title First Look at Spirit on Mars
Original Caption Released with Image This mosaic image taken by the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows a 360 degree panoramic view of the rover on the surface of Mars.
View From Above Spirit on Ma …
PIA04988
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title View From Above Spirit on Mars-2
Original Caption Released with Image This mosaic image taken by the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has been reprocessed to project a clear overhead view of the rover on the surface of Mars.
Right Panorama of Spirit's L …
PIA04992
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title Right Panorama of Spirit's Landing Site
Original Caption Released with Image This is a version of the first 3-D stereo image from the rover's navigation camera, showing only the view from the right stereo camera onboard the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. The left and right camera images are combined to produce a 3-D image.
Left Panorama of Spirit's La …
PIA04991
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title Left Panorama of Spirit's Landing Site
Original Caption Released with Image Left Panorama of Spirit's Landing Site This is a version of the first 3-D stereo image from the rover's navigation camera, showing only the view from the left stereo camera onboard the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. The left and right camera images are combined to produce a 3-D image.
Ready to Roll-2
PIA05080
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title Ready to Roll-2
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows the view from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit after it successfully completed a 115 degree turn to face northwest, the direction it will roll off the lander. The image was taken by the rover's navigation camera.
Virtual Rover Takes its Firs …
PIA05063
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title Virtual Rover Takes its First Turn
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows a screenshot from the software used by engineers to drive the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. The software simulates the rover's movements across the martian terrain, helping to plot a safe course for the rover. The virtual 3-D world around the rover is built from images taken by Spirit's stereo navigation cameras. Regions for which the rover has not yet acquired 3-D data are represented in beige. This image depicts the state of the rover before it backed up and turned 45 degrees on Sol 11 (01-13-04).
Belly Dancing on Mars
PIA05064
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title Belly Dancing on Mars
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows a screenshot from the software used by engineers to drive the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. The software simulates the rover's movements across the martian terrain, helping to plot a safe course for the rover. The virtual 3-D world around the rover is built from images taken by Spirit's stereo navigation cameras. Regions for which the rover has not yet acquired 3-D data are represented in beige. The red dart to the left shows a target destination for the rover. Red lines indicate the path the rover's wheels will follow to reach the target, and the blue line denotes the path of the rover's "belly button," as engineers like to call it.
From Spirit's Perspective (A …
PIA05032
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title From Spirit's Perspective (Animation)
Original Caption Released with Image This animation shows the perspective from the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit before and after its automated stand-up process. After standing up, the rover is approximately 12 inches higher off of the lander, resulting in a better view of the surrounding terrain.
Virtual Rover Drives Toward …
PIA05101
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title Virtual Rover Drives Toward Rock
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows a screenshot from the software used by engineers to test and drive the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. The software simulates the rover's movements across the martian terrain, helping to plot a safe course. Here, engineers simulated Spirit's first post-egress drive on Mars Sunday. The 3-meter (10-foot) drive totaled approximately 30 minutes, including time to stop and take images. The rover drove toward its first rock target, a mountain-shaped rock called Adirondack. The blue line denotes the path of the rover's "belly button," as engineers like to call it, as the rover drove toward Adirondack. The virtual 3-D world around the rover was built from images taken by Spirit's stereo navigation cameras. Regions for which the rover has not yet acquired 3-D data are represented in beige.
Bird's Eye" View of Egress
PIA05044
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title Bird's Eye" View of Egress
Original Caption Released with Image This mosaic image taken by the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit represents an overhead view of the rover as it prepares to roll off the lander and onto the martian surface. The yellow arrow illustrates the direction the rover may take to roll safely off the lander. The rover was originally positioned to roll straight forward off the lander (south side of image). However, an airbag is blocking its path. To take this northeastern route, the rover must back up and perform what is likened to a 3-point turn in a cramped parking lot.
Bird's Eye" View of Egress
PIA05044
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title Bird's Eye" View of Egress
Original Caption Released with Image This mosaic image taken by the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit represents an overhead view of the rover as it prepares to roll off the lander and onto the martian surface. The yellow arrow illustrates the direction the rover may take to roll safely off the lander. The rover was originally positioned to roll straight forward off the lander (south side of image). However, an airbag is blocking its path. To take this northeastern route, the rover must back up and perform what is likened to a 3-point turn in a cramped parking lot.
First Panoramic Look at Meri …
PIA05138
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title First Panoramic Look at Meridiani Planum, Mars
Original Caption Released with Image This 360-degree panorama is one of the first images beamed back to Earth from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shortly after it touched down at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The image was captured by the rover's navigation camera.
Over the Rover
PIA05151
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title Over the Rover
Original Caption Released with Image This image from the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has been projected to show an overhead perspective of the rover. This image was taken shortly after the rover touched down at Meridiani Planum, Mars, at approximately 9:05 p.m. PST on Saturday, Jan. 24.
Opportunity Egress Aid Conta …
PIA05170
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title Opportunity Egress Aid Contacts Soil
Original Caption Released with Image This image from the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the rover's egress aid touching the martian soil at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The image was taken after the rear lander petal hyperextended in a manuever to tilt the lander forward. The maneuver pushed the front edge lower, placing the tips of the egress aids in the soil. The rover will drive straight ahead to exit the lander.
Virtual Rover on Its Own
PIA05184
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title Virtual Rover on Its Own
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows a screenshot from the software used by engineers to roll the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity off its lander and onto martian soil. Engineers received confirmation that Opportunity's six wheels had touched ground at 3:01 a.m. PST, January 31, 2004, on the seventh martian day, or sol, of the mission. The software simulates the rover's movements, helping to plot a safe course. The virtual 3-D world around the rover is built from images taken by Opportunity's stereo navigation cameras. Regions for which the rover has not yet acquired 3-D data are represented in beige. The rover is approximately 1 meter (3 feet) in front of the lander, facing north.
Mars in a Grain of Sand
PIA05206
Sol (our sun)
Microscopic Imager, Navigati …
Title Mars in a Grain of Sand
Original Caption Released with Image This image highlights the patch of soil examined by the rover's microscopic imager on the 10th day, or sol, of its mission. The outer image was taken by the rover's navigation camera, the middle image by the panoramic camera and the inner image by the microscopic imager. Opportunity is currently sitting 1 meter (3 feet) away from its now-empty lander in a shallow crater at Meridiani Planum, Mars.
Opportunity's Path
PIA05260
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title Opportunity's Path
Original Caption Released with Image This Long Term Planning graphic was created from a mosaic of navigation camera images overlain by a polar coordinate grid with the center point as Opportunity's original landing site. The blue dots represent the rover position at various locations. The red dots represent the center points of the target areas for the instruments on the rover mast (the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer). Opportunity visited Stone Mountain on Feb. 5. Stone Mountain was named after the southernmost point of the Appalachian Mountains outside of Atlanta, Ga. On Earth, Stone Mountain is the last big mountain before the Piedmont flatlands, and on Mars, Stone Mountain is at one end of Opportunity Ledge. El Capitan is a target of interest on Mars named after the second highest peak in Texas in Guadaloupe National Park, which is one of the most visited outcrops in the United States by geologists. It has been a training ground for students and professional geologists to understand what the layering means in relation to the formation of Earth, and scientists will study this prominent point of Opportunity Ledge to understand what the layering means on Mars. The yellow lines show the midpoint where the panoramic camera has swept and will sweep a 120-degree area from the three waypoints on the tour of the outcrop. Imagine a fan-shaped wedge from left to right of the yellow line. The white contour lines are one meter apart, and each drive has been roughly about 2-3 meters in length over the last few sols. The large white blocks are dropouts in the navigation camera data. Opportunity is driving along and taking a photographic panorama of the entire outcrop. Scientists will stitch together these images and use the new mosaic as a "base map" to decide on geology targets of interest for a more detailed study of the outcrop using the instruments on the robotic arm. Once scientists choose their targets of interest, they plan to study the outcrop for roughly five to fifteen sols. This will include El Capitan and probably one to two other areas. Blue Dot Dates Sol 7 / Jan 31 = Egress & first soil data collected by instruments on the arm Sol 9 / Feb 2 = Second Soil Target Sol 12 / Feb 5 = First Rock Target Sol 16 / Feb 9 = Alpha Waypoint Sol 17 / Feb 10 = Bravo Waypoint Sol 19 or 20 / Feb 12 or 13 = Charlie Waypoint
Taking a Deeper Look
PIA05325
Sol (our sun)
Microscopic Imager, Navigati …
Title Taking a Deeper Look
Original Caption Released with Image This image taken by the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the crater floor at Meridiani Planum, Mars, after the rover dug a trench on sol 23 (February 16, 2004). Scientists used the microscopic imager, an instrument located on the rover's instrument deployment device, or "arm," to take a picture of the small patch of soil in the center of the trench wall. Here, that microscopic image has been overlaid to show where that patch of soil, which measures approximately 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) across, is located.
Stucco" Walls
PIA05331
Sol (our sun)
Microscopic Imager
Title Stucco" Walls
Original Caption Released with Image This projected mosaic image, taken by the microscopic imager, an instrument located on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity 's instrument deployment device, or "arm," shows the partial clotting or cement-like properties of the sand-sized grains within the trench wall. The area in this image measures approximately 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) wide and 5 centimeters (2 inches) tall.(This image also appears as an inset on a separate image from the rover's navigation camera, showing the location of this particular spot within the trench wall.)
Rock Dusting Leaves "Mickey …
PIA05502
Sol (our sun)
Miniature Thermal Emission S …
Title Rock Dusting Leaves "Mickey Mouse" Mark
Original Caption Released with Image This image taken by the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the rock dubbed "Humphrey" and the circular areas on the rock that were wiped off by the rover. The rover used a brush on its rock abrasion tool to clean these spots before examining them with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Later, the rover drilled into the rock with its rock abrasion tool, exposing fresh rock underneath.
A Long Way From Home
PIA05525
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title A Long Way From Home
Original Caption Released with Image This pair of pieced-together images was taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's left navigation camera looking aft on March 6, 2004. It reveals the long and rocky path of nearly 240 meters (787 feet) that Spirit had traveled since safely arriving at Gusev Crater on Jan. 3, 2004. The lander can still be seen in the distance, but will never be "home" again for the journeying rover. This image is also a tribute to the effectiveness of the autonomous navigation system that the rovers use during parts of their martian drives. Instead of driving directly through the "hollow" seen in the middle right of the image, the autonomous navigation system guided Spirit around the high ridge bordering the hollow. In the two days after these images were taken, Spirit has traveled roughly 60 meters (197 feet) farther toward its destination at the crater nicknamed "Bonneville".
Evidence of a Water-Soaked P …
PIA05495
Sol (our sun)
Microscopic Imager, Navigati …
Title Evidence of a Water-Soaked Past
Original Caption Released 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.
Some Rocky Road Please
PIA05519
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title Some Rocky Road Please
Original Caption Released with Image This image taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's navigation camera shows the rocky path lying due east of the rover. Boulders as large as half a meter (1.6 feet) dot the landscape here near Bonneville Crater. The east hills, over two kilometers away (1.3 miles), can be seen to the far right. Spirit will most likely drive toward the rim of Bonneville crater along a safer route to the north of this area.
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1-50 of 548