This 3-D image taken by the microscopic imager on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a close-up of the center of the rock abrasion tool hole, ground into "Bounce" on the rover's 66th sol on Mars. Features smaller than one-tenth of a millimeter (.004 inches) are visible. The observed area is a little over 3 centimeters (1.2 inches). The canyon-like crack that runs across the bottom half of the image is really only about 2 millimeters (about 0.08 inches) deep. Scientists are currently using a variety of instruments to study the chemical content of the rock.
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 | Color | |
Acquisition Date | ||
Release Date | 2004-04-02 | |
Date in Caption | ||
Image Credit | NASA/JPL/Cornell/USGS | |
Source | photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05687 | |
Identifier | PIA05687 |