Mars rover beams spectacular images from crater!
- Date: November 06, 2006
- Level: High School, 10th grade
- Grade: A+
- Length: 2 pages (463 words)
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nasa rover, high resolution images, mars exploration program, planets in the solar system, back to earth, rocky planets, ...scientists, victoria, red planet, desolate surface, understanding relationships, jagged edged, news conference, glimpse, bottom line
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Subject > Science Essays > Astronomy
After spending 21 Earth months creeping across the desolate surface of the Red Planet, a NASA rover has reached its destination.
'Opportunity' is now perched on the edge of a massive jagged-edged crater, capturing spectacular high resolution images and beaming them back to earth, allowing scientists to chart a path into the depression. NASA hopes the rover's journey into the Victoria crater, which scientists say is several times the size of an NFL-sized stadium, will provide a glimpse into the planet's history.
"The bottom line is it gives us a window to the past of the planet, and that's incredibly important in understanding why it is the way it is and understanding relationships potentially to other rocky planets in the solar system," ...
... example of how our Mars missions in orbit and on the surface are designed to reinforce each other and expand our ability to explore and discover," McCuistion said.
Before the rover begins its journey into the crater it will continue to scout around the rim, collecting more images. Operators on Earth will then compare the rover images with those from the MRP to determine the safest route down.
"If you were a geologist driving up to the edge of a crater in your jeep, the first thing you would do would be to pick up the aerial photo you brought with you and use it to understand what you're seeing from ground level. That's exactly what we're
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