Spirit Pan from Bonneville Crater s Edge
Explanation:
Scroll right and follow
this
breathtaking view of the martian
surface from the southern edge of a small crater dubbed Bonneville.
NASA's Spirit rover recorded the sharp 180-degree panorama
on
sols 68 and 69 of its stay
on the Red Planet, following the completion of a
300+ meter journey from its
landing site
within Mars' expansive
Gusev
Crater region.
Bonneville crater itself is about 200 meters across.
Rocks scattered about the area are potentially "ejecta" from Bonneville,
debris blasted from below the martian surface by the impact
which created the crater.
Researchers are eager
to confirm this scenario since such material
could be a guide to the
geological history of the area.
So what's that shiny patch on the left, just beyond the
crater's far rim?
It's the Spirit lander's
heat shield.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
