Nereus Crater on Mars
Credit: Mars Exploration Rover Mission, JPL, NASA; Image Processing: Kenneth Kremer
Posted on 10/19/2009 5:54:36 AM PDT by sig226
Explanation: It was along the way. The robotic rover Opportunity currently rolling across the Meridiani Plain on Mars has a destination of Endeavour Crater, a large crater over 20 kilometers across which may yield additional clues about the cryptic past of ancient Mars. Besides passing open fields of dark soil and light rock, Opportunity has chanced upon several interesting features. One such feature, pictured above in a digitally stitched and horizontally compressed panorama, is Nereus Crater, a small crater about 10 meters across that is surrounded by jagged rock. Besides Nereus, Opportunity recently also happened upon another unusual rock -- one that appears to be the third large meteorite found on Mars and the second for Opportunity during only this trip. Opportunity has been traveling toward Endeavour Crater for over a year now, and if it can avoid ridged rocks and soft sand along the way, it may reach Endeavour sometime next year.
I wonder what’s beyond that saw-toothed wall near the horizon.....
Is both Mars Rovers still going ? working ? .... when was it that they landed on Mars ? Jan 2004 ? ...
Money well spent.
Shhh..
Heh. I know that place. I think we did a few weeks of training there a couple decades ago.
I’m pretty sure that hole was our company CP for a few days.
I’m pretty sure that hole was our company CP for a few days.
Maybe you were the guys who planted the flag up there on Mars and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tx) got you mized up with Neil Armstrong planting the flag on the Moon...
Wow! Looks like a giant dark chocolate dessert—pun intended—with lots of nuts.
What a boing planet.
I wish we had others...with oxygen.
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