PIA05646: 'Lanikai' Under the Microscope


‘Lanikai’ Under the Microscope

Caption:

This three-centimeter by three-centimeter (1.2-inch by 1.2-inch) microscopic image of the soil survey target informally called "Lanikai" was taken on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's 52nd sol, or day, on Mars. Named after Hawaii's white sand beaches, this target reveals irregularly shaped, light-colored, millimeter-sized (0.04 inch) clasts, or particles, in a fine-grained soil. Lanikai's angular, less-rounded clast shapes interested the science team when compared to other soil targets in the crater area examined by the microscopic imager.

For mosaic of related microscopic images, see PIA05651 .

Cataloging Keywords:

Name Value Additional Values
Target Mars
System
Target Type Planet
Mission Mars Exploration Rover (MER)
Instrument Host Opportunity (MER-B)
Host Type Rover
Instrument Microscopic Imager (MI)
Detector
Extra Keywords Crater, Grayscale
Acquisition Date
Release Date 2004-03-27
Date in Caption
Image Credit NASA/JPL/Cornell/USGS
Source photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05646
Identifier PIA05646