PIA05273: "Berries" on the Ground
 Target Name:  Mars
 Is a satellite of:  Sol (our sun)
 Mission:  Mars Exploration Rover (MER)
 Spacecraft:  Opportunity
 Instrument:  Microscopic Imager
 Product Size:  2058 x 1092 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  JPL
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA05273.tif (1.894 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA05273.jpg (275.8 kB)

Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)

Original Caption Released with Image:

This mosaic image shows an extreme close-up of round, blueberry-shaped formations in the martian soil near a part of the rock outcrop at Meridiani Planum called Stone Mountain. Scientists are studying these curious formations for clues about the area's past environmental conditions. The image, one of the highest resolution images ever taken by the microscopic imager, an instrument located on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's instrument deployment device or "arm."

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/Cornell/USGS

Image Addition Date:
2004-02-12