I wouldnt drive down there

Wow, what a sight!

Maybe Oppy could try to drive down there at the end of the extended misson. But not right now ...

Tom

The thing is - they cant really stop on the sides to investigate the interesting formations that are under the whiter rock units we've seen at Eagle, Anatolia and Fram - but above the crater floor which is covered in the usual wind blown dust and so on.

I dont see any side less than about 40 degrees at the top - even though it levels out quite nicely towards the bottom

A few sols of workout for Pancam with all filters, and plenty of Mini Tes - perhaps a drive around 1/3rd of the rim - and then off past the heatshield to the exposed rock 2km south of here.

Essentially - the same as Spirit did at Bonneville. Look but dont touch.

Thing we heard a lot about (I'm sure Nick can expand on this) was that craters 'turn over' the layering - but I dont really see much of that here?

Doug

It's rare for craters to literally overturn layers. Big ones can do it, but it requires the right combination of materials and layering.

OTOH, craters dig deep and blast the deep stuff out onto the surface, so in that sense they overturn things, like worm casts turn your lawn over.

mumble grumble bastard lawn bloody moss everywhere grumble mumble

Doug

Exploratorium doesn't have these images yet - where did you get them?

I dunno - The near side is nowhere as steep as the far side - just compare the cliff overhangs of the far side with the relative slope on this side. Also keep in mind that Opportunity is on an uphill slpe just at the edge, so it looks steeper than it is.



Just compare the horizon level with the slope a bit to the left of the rover, it looks like 20 degrees at most. That may be the best possible entry point if they want to get inside.

Of course, the most interesting geological features are on the steep far side...

I think I might be off in places - but you can see obvious features from orbit - good stuff

Yes it does

Can't wait to see what it looks like through PanCam

Not Sol95, but still pretty.

Not sure I like the green shadows in the forecround dimples...

Better image to match features with...


(An enlarged version of the Dimes imagery - note the dunes in the centre of the crater).

This is a 3D anaglyph I created of a L/R pair from one of Opportunity's views down into Endurance Crater. Hope you have red/blue glasses to enjoy it. Have others of the rest of the pan that I'm going to try to stitch into a single 3D image. New to this group. Figured I should come bearing gifts.



Art Martin