The latest flight directors update has been posted and they mention "an amazing science target" in the shape of this strange looking rock:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...8P2423L7M1.HTML

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...8P2423L7M1.HTML

Yup. These images show a pretty neat discovery. The features on the rock surface look like dessication cracks. They form as water is removed from wet sediments. They suggest, perhaps, that the crater may have been partly filled with water, which later evaporated.

btw, they named that rock "Escher"

The rock shows obvious signs of layering, but they appear MUCH wider apart than in any rock I think i've seen Opportunity take an image of at Merdiani.

btw....I think they shold have naed it Tortoise, for the tortoise shell pattern at the top

Here's a 3 frame panorama of this location, in L2 3 4 5 6 7

http://www.lyle.org/~markoff/collections/oppsol208pan.jpg

Wonderful image. Thanks.

.......even stranger.

From the Microscopic Imager. Again, I dont remember seeing anything like this at Merdiani before.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...BGP2906M2M1.JPG

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...BGP2906M2M1.JPG

Looks like obsidian almost. Certainly is different than anything else we've seen. Any ideas on where the target is?