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PIA06278: 'Pot of Gold' and 'Rotten Rocks'
'Pot of Gold' and 'Rotten Rocks'
 Target Name:  Mars
 Is a satellite of:  Sol (our sun)
 Mission:  Mars Exploration Rover (MER) 
 Spacecraft:  Spirit
 Instrument:  Panoramic Camera 
 Product Size:  1024 x 410 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  Cornell University 
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA06278.tif (1.261 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA06278.jpg (70.7 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 false-color image taken by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the rock dubbed "Pot of Gold" (upper left), located near the base of the "Columbia Hills" in Gusev Crater. Scientists are intrigued by this unusual-looking, nodule-covered rock and plan to investigate its detailed chemistry in coming sols. This picture was taken on sol 159 (June 14, 2004).

To the right is a set of rocks referred to as "Rotten Rocks" for their resemblance to rotting loaves of bread. The insides of these rocks appear to have been eroded, while their outer rinds remain more intact. These outer rinds are reminiscent of those found on rocks at Meridiani Planum's "Eagle Crater." This image was captured on sol 158 (June 13, 2004).

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/Cornell

Image Addition Date:
2004-06-16