Opportunity Rover Spots Greeley Haven on Mars
Explanation:
Where on Mars should you spend the winter?
As winter approached in the southern hemisphere of Mars last November, the
Opportunity rover had just this problem -- it needed a place to go.
The reduced amount of sunlight impacting
Opportunity's solar panels combined with the extra power needed to
keep equipment
warm could drain Opportunity's batteries.
Therefore
Opportunity
was instructed to climb onto the 15 degree incline of
Greeley's Haven, shown as the
rocky slope ahead.
The incline increased power input as
Opportunity's solar panels now
have
greater exposure to sunlight, while also giving the rolling
robot some interesting landscape to explore.
Visible in the distance, beyond
Greeley
Haven, lies expansive
Endeavour Crater, the
ancient impact basin that Opportunity will continue exploring as the
Martian winter concludes in a few months, if it survives.
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.
