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Press Release Images: Opportunity
26-Sep-2006
 
 
This panorama image from Opportunity's navigation camera is labeled to highlight features of 'Victoria Crater'
On the Verge of 'Victoria'

Once it was more like a distant dream, the ultimate bonus to an already marvelous Martian mission. Now, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is on the brink of the expansive "Victoria Crater," a depression that truly makes those on the path to it look like dimples. At about 800 meters (nearly half-a-mile) in diameter, Victoria is five times larger then "Endurance Crater."

This image from Opportunity's navigation camera is labeled to highlight features of the large crater. Victoria Crater is informally named for the flagship of Ferdinand Magellan's 16th-Century expedition around the world, and many the features of Victoria will be informally named for places visited by that expedition.

The feature labeled in dark yellow as "Bright Crater" is another crater just outside the far rim of Victoria. At 30 to 40 meters (98 to 131 feet) in diameter, the depression is larger than Opportunity's landing site, "Eagle Crater." Labeled in bright purple is "Duck Crater," a small dimple on the near side of Victoria Crater (the name is used as a placeholder until the team decides if it will name it or not). Other distant craters are labeled in bright blue.

On the far right of the image is "Kitty Clyde's Sister," a highly degraded crater informally named for a boat in John Wesley Powell's 19th-Century expedition through the Grand Canyon.

The science and engineering teams are strategizing on the best way to approach, and possibly enter, Victoria Crater.

This image was taken on the rover's 943th sol on Mars (Sept. 18, 2006).

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
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This image shows Mars Orbiter Camera View of 'Victoria'
Mars Orbiter Camera View of 'Victoria'

This image from the Mars Orbiter Camera aboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft shows an overview of "Victoria Crater" and a portion of the area NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has covered to reach the enormous depression.

The crater is about 800 meters (half a mile) in diameter. North is up.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
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This image taken by the Mars Orbiter Camers on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows Opportunity's overview of approach to 'Victoria Crater'
Overview of Approach to 'Victoria'

Images such as this one from the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor are helping scientists and engineers decide the best path for NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity as it approaches "Victoria Crater."

A blue dot indicates "Cape Verde" and a red dot "Cabo Frio." These two points mark the extent of the crater visible from the rover's position on its 945th Martian day, or sol (Sept. 20, 2006), a location it had reached two sols earlier and from which much of this monster depression was still out of sight. The green annotations indicate "Duck Bay," a location expected to allow a view to the other side of the crater. A dune, or ripple, is to the left of the crater, right in front of the green dot location. This is where the team initially talked about sending Opportunity for the rover's first view down into the crater. After further consideration, the team opted for a drive to the right of that ripple (south of the green dot) near the rim.

The yellow lines that surround and intersect Victoria Crater are used to measure the crater and the distance to the far "bays." North is up. Victoria Crater is about 800 meters (half a mile) in diameter.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
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