Reading 'Endurance Crater'
This image shows the area inside "Endurance Crater" that the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has been examining. The rover is investigating the distinct layers of rock that make up this region. Each layer is defined by subtle color and texture variations and represents a separate chapter in Mars' history. The deeper the layer, the further back in time the rocks were formed. Scientists are "reading" this history book by systematically studying each layer with the rover's scientific instruments. So far, data from the rover indicate that the top layers are sulfate-rich, like the rocks observed in "Eagle Crater." This implies that water processes were involved in forming the materials that make up these rocks. This image was taken by Opportunity's navigation camera on sol 134 (June 9, 2004).
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell
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