By: pencilnev
License: Copyright, All Rights Reserved

Uploaded: 30 Jul 2020
Last Updated: 30 Jul 2020

123 megapixels
23,123 x 5,309 pixels
77.1 in X 17.7 in at 300dpi

During four months prior to the fourth anniversary of its landing on Mars, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity examined rocks inside an alcove called "Duck Bay" in the western portion of Victoria Crater. This mosaic shows layered rocks in the zone close-in to the rover. Opportunity's targets of study during the last quarter of 2007 were rock layers within a band exposed around the interior of the crater, about 6 meters (20 feet) from the rim. Bright rocks within the band are visible in the foreground of the panorama. The rover science team assigned informal names to three subdivisions of the band: "Steno," "Smith," and "Lyell." This view combines many images taken by Opportunity's panoramic camera (Pancam) from the 1,353rd through 1,371st Martian days, or sols, of the mission (Nov. 13 to Dec. 2, 2007). Images taken through Pancam filters centered on wavelengths of 753 nanometers, 535 nanometers and 432 nanometers were mixed to produce an approximately true-color panorama. Some visible patterns in dark and light tones are the result of combining frames that were affected by dust on the front sapphire window of the rover's camera. Opportunity landed on Jan. 25, 2004, Universal Time, (Jan. 24, Pacific Time) inside a much smaller crater about 6 kilometers (4 miles) north of Victoria Crater, to begin a surface mission designed to last 3 months and drive about 600 meters (0.4 mile).