‘Lunokhod 2 Crater’ on Mars (False Color)

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Caption:

This scene from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows "Lunokhod 2 Crater," which lies south of "Solander Point" on the west rim of Endeavour Crater. Lunokhod 2 Crater is approximately 20 feet (6 meters) in diameter.

Each day's drive by Opportunity sets a new record for longest travel on wheels on a world other than Earth. The previous record holder was the Soviet Union's Lunokhod 2 rover, which landed on Earth's moon on Jan. 15, 1973.

The view was obtained during Opportunity's 3,644th Martian day (sol) of exploration (April 24, 2014). It is presented in false color to make some differences between materials easier to see. Part of the rover is visible at bottom, including its rear solar arrays and panoramic camera, or Pancam, calibration target.

The view merges exposures taken through three of the Pancam's color filters, centered on wavelengths of 601 nanometers (orange), 535 nanometers (green) and 482 nanometers (blue).

Background Info:

JPL manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. For more information about the projects twin rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, visit http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov .

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