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Press Release Images: Spirit
29-Nov-2004
 
Closeup View of Compacted Soil
Closeup View of Compacted Soil

Soil on Mars can be a bit clumpy, as shown in this image of soil after it was compacted by one of the wheels of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. Scientists think the light-colored material may be a global layer of airfall dust. Spirit's microscopic imager took this picture, showing an area approximately 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) square, during the rover's 314th martian day, or sol (Nov. 19, 2004).

Image credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/USGS
Browse Image (68.2 kB) | Large (684 kB)
Mars Rover Studies Soil on Mars
Mars Rover Studies Soil on Mars

Both out on the plains of Gusev Crater and in the "Columbia Hills," NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has encountered a thin (approximately 1 millimeter or 0.04 inch thick), light-colored, fine-grained layer of material on top of a dark-colored, coarser layer of soil. In the hills, Spirit stopped to take a closer look at soil compacted by one of the rover's wheels. Spirit took this image with the front hazard-avoidance camera during the rover's 314th martian day, or sol (Nov. 19, 2004).

Image credit: NASA/JPL
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