PIA05207: Mars Under the Microscope

Target Name: Mars Is a satellite of: Sol (our sun) Mission: Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Spacecraft: Opportunity Instrument: Microscopic Imager Product Size: 1024 samples x 1024 lines Produced By: JPL Full-Res TIFF: PIA05207.tif (1.05 MB) Full-Res JPEG: PIA05207.jpg (374.5 kB)

Original Caption Released with Image: This magnified look at the martian soil near the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's landing site, Meridiani Planum, shows coarse grains sprinkled over a fine layer of sand. The image was captured by the rover's microscopic imager on the 10th day, or sol, of its mission. Scientists are intrigued by the spherical rocks, which can be formed by a variety of geologic processes, including cooling of molten lava droplets and accretion of concentric layers of material around a particle or "seed." The examined patch of soil is 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) across. The circular grain in the lower left corner is approximately 3 millimeters (.12 inches) across, or about the size of a sunflower seed. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/US Geological Survey