Mars Rover at Victoria Crater Imaged from Orbit
Explanation:
An unusual spot has been found on Mars that scientists believe is not natural in
origin.
The spot appears mobile and is now hypothesized to be a
robot created by an
intelligent species alien to Mars.
In fact, the spot appears to be NASA's robotic Opportunity rover currently rolling
across Mars.
The ability to see the Martian rover from orbit has recently been demonstrated by
the
High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment
on NASA's
Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).
The new spacecraft achieved orbit around Mars in 2006 March.
Last week, MRO imaged the location of
Victoria Crater
and the
rover Opportunity that had just arrived there.
In the
above image at spectacularly
high resolution, objects about one meter in size are
resolved, and this includes the rolling rover.
Such images may help scientists better determine if any safe path exists for Opportunity
to enter large crater.
In the
inset image
on the upper left, the whole of
Victoria Crater
was also imaged by MRO.
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.
