MARSDAILY
First Image From A Mars Rover Choosing A Target

The rock in the target is close to a young crater called "Concepcion" and might have been thrown outward by the impact that excavated the crater.
by Staff Writers
 Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 29, 2010
 This view results from the first observation of a target selected autonomously by a spacecraft on Mars. During the 2,172nd Martian day, or sol, of its mission on Mars (March 4, 2010), NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used newly developed and uploaded software to choose a target from a wider-angle image and point its panoramic camera (Pancam) to observe the chosen target through 13 different filters.

The imaging was part of a checkout of the new software, named Autonomous Exploration for Gathering Increased Science, or AEGIS. Images taken through three of the filters are combined into this false-color view of the rock, which is about the size of a football.

The component images are one-quarter subframe field of view, taken with the left camera of the stereo Pancam through filters admitting wavelengths of 750 nanometers, 530 nanometers and 430 nanometers. The false color makes some differences between materials easier to see.

The rock in the target is close to a young crater called "Concepcion" and might have been thrown outward by the impact that excavated the crater.

The wider-angle image that Opportunity analyzed to select this target was taken by the rover's navigation camera and can be viewed here.



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MARSDAILY
Mars Rover Examines Odd Material At Small, Young Crater
 Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 26, 2010
 Weird coatings on rocks beside a young Martian crater remain puzzling after a preliminary look at data from examination of the site by NASA's Opportunity rover. The rover spent six weeks investigating the crater called "Concepcion" before resuming its long journey this month. The crater is about 10 meters (33 feet) in diameter. Dark rays extending from it, as seen from orbit, flagged it in ... read more
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