NASA rover sends back photos from huge Martian crater (photos)
Opportunity reaches the edge of the massive Endeavour Crater after a three-year journey.
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After climbing itself out of one big hole, NASA's Martian rover Opportunity is ready for more.
A three-year journey has taken it to the edge of the huge Endeavour Crater. The crater is 14 miles in diameter and scientists hope it will provide a glimpse at Martian rocks never seen before. We put together a collection of some of the first shots sent back from the crater's edge, as well as the epic road trip that led Opportunity there.
2 of 6 NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/ASU
Endeavour Crater
False color was added to this image of the west rim of the Endeavour Crater to spruce up Opportunity's typical affinity for sepia tones. It also better shows the contrast between rocks and soils. The darker rocks may be a new type that Opportunity hasn't come across before, NASA says. Also note the dark specks covering the foreground. Those are iron-rich pebbles called "blueberries" that have been common throughout the rover's journeys.
3 of 6 NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/ASU
Spirit Point
Opportunity used its panoramic camera to capture this mosaic view at Spirit Point, overlooking the small Odyssey Crater in the foreground and Endeavour Crater beyond. Spirit Point was named for Opportunity's twin rover, which is no longer operational.
4 of 6 NASA/JPL-Caltech
Endeavour Crater
This view from Spirit Point offers a little more perspective on Opportunity and the Endeavour Crater.
Both the Spirit and Opportunity rovers were originally meant to take three-month missions, but they both operated for years beyond their projected end date.
5 of 6 NASA/JPL-Caltech
Photo from Mars rover Opportunity
This shot was taken July 17, after Opportunity completed 20 miles of total travel on Mars. At this point it was under a mile from the rim of Endeavour Crater. So, no, the rover doesn't exactly move at Earth highway speeds. In fact, on that particular Martian day (or sol, as NASA calls it), Opportunity traveled a total of 407 feet.
6 of 6 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/NMMNHS
Opportunity journey
This image shows the route Opportunity has taken from its landing spot inside Eagle Crater to the edge of Endeavour Crater today. It took the rover three years to make the trek from the much smaller Victoria Crater, seen in the upper left. It's roughly the Martian equivalent of a cross-country trip to the Grand Canyon, just without all the fast food...or water and breathable air, for that matter.
