PIA06309: Microscopic Image Inside 'Endurance'
 Target Name:  Mars
 Is a satellite of:  Sol (our sun)
 Mission:  Mars Exploration Rover (MER)
 Spacecraft:  Opportunity
 Instrument:  Microscopic Imager
 Product Size:  2311 x 2413 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  JPL
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA06309.tif (4.568 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA06309.jpg (651.5 kB)

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Updated Caption: (View Original Caption)

figure 1 for PIA06309
Figure 1
June 25, 2004
Turning the Pages of 'Endurance Crater's' History

This image mosaic made up of four images from the microscopic imager on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a contact line between two distinct layers of rock (A and B in figure 1) inside "Endurance Crater." The layers are defined by subtle color and texture variations and represent separate chapters in Mars' history. Contact lines between the layers therefore represent periods of geologic time when significant environmental changes occurred. Data from Opportunity's scientific instruments indicate that both of the shown layers are rich in sulfates. Each microscopic image shows an area of about 3 centimeters by 3 centimeters (1.2 inches by 1.2 inches).

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/USGS

Image Addition Date:
2004-06-23