PIA11384: Daisy in Full Bloom on "Mazatzal" (False Color)
 Target Name:  Mars
 Is a satellite of:  Sol (our sun)
 Mission:  Mars Exploration Rover (MER)
 Spacecraft:  Spirit
 Instrument:  Panoramic Camera
Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) 
 Product Size:  1024 x 1024 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  Cornell University 
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA11384.tif (3.15 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA11384.jpg (217.9 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 image from NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows a daisy pattern created by the rover's rock abrasion tool on a rock dubbed "Mazatzal." The pattern was made as the rover brushed dust away from a large enough area of the surface of the wind-scalloped, volcanic rock to match the field of view of the rover's miniature thermal emission spectrometer. As Spirit ground into the surface with the diamond cutting teeth of the rock abrasion tool, a mineral-filled fracture in the rock suggested the possible presence of past water. The circles cut by the tool are about 5 centimeters (2 inches) in diameter.

Spirit acquired this image on Sol 86 (March 31, 2004) with the panoramic camera’s 753-nanometer, 535-nanometer, and 432-nanometer filters. The image is presented here in false color that is used to bring out subtle color differences.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/Cornell University

Image Addition Date:
2004-04-01